US-based Twist Bioscience Corporation has announced a drug discovery agreement with Japan headquartered Ono Pharmaceutical Co. to discover and develop novel antibodies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

Under the terms of the agreement, Twist will utilise the Twist Biopharma Solutions Library of Libraries to conduct research activities to discover novel antibodies against targets identified by Ono. Twist’s Library of Libraries is an expansive collection of synthesised antibody libraries based on naturally occurring sequences that harness innovative structural and developability features to cover a wide range of drug targets.

Twist will receive research fees, success-based clinical and regulatory milestones, as well as royalties on product sales. As part of the strategic collaboration, Ono will also utilise the scientific expertise of the Biopharma Solutions team and Twist’s Premium Project Management services to evaluate new targets and generate comprehensive discovery campaigns.

Ono will be responsible for the development, manufacturing and commercialisation of any products resulting from the collaboration.