Janssen-Cilag GmbH has completed the acquisition of CorImmun GmbH, a privately held drug development company in Germany, for an undisclosed upfront payment and a contingent future clinical milestone payment.

Janssen and its affiliates immediately assume full development and global commercialization responsibilities for CorImmun's lead compound, COR-1. COR-1 is a small cyclic peptide currently in early clinical development for the treatment of heart failure. The compound has been shown in preclinical studies to improve heart function by decreasing autoimmune, beta 1 receptor-simulating antibody effects.

"The prevalence of heart failure is rising rapidly, and COR-1 is an early stage development compound with a novel mechanism for treating heart failure that has the potential to improve heart function by suppressing antibodies that can exacerbate this condition," said Peter M. DiBattiste, M.D., global therapeutic area head, cardiovascular disease and metabolism, Janssen R&D. "This acquisition demonstrates Janssen's commitment to investing in innovative science in an area of great unmet medical need, where new therapies can improve the quality of patient care."