Jerini

About Jerini

Jerini AG was a German pharmaceutical company that specialized in the discovery and development of peptide-based drugs for diseases with limited or no treatment options. The company was established in 1994 as a spin-off from the Medical Faculty (Charité) of Humboldt University in Berlin by Jens Schneider-Mergener. Schneider-Mergener, who served as CEO, studied chemistry and biochemistry, and his post-doctoral work at the California Institute of Technology included the discovery of the HIV-1 protease. He later became a professor for biochemistry at Charité before founding Jerini.

The company's core technology was its proprietary "Peptides-to-Drugs" (P2D) platform. This platform was used to identify peptide drug leads and convert them into injectable or oral medications, enabling the development of drug candidates for disease targets that were difficult to address with traditional methods. Jerini's business strategy involved marketing drugs for niche indications independently while partnering for larger markets. Initially, the company operated as a service provider to the pharmaceutical industry, using revenues from its SPOT™ technology platform to fund its expansion and transition into a drug discovery company.

Jerini's lead product was Firazyr® (icatibant), a bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist for the treatment of acute attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE), a rare and potentially life-threatening genetic disorder. Icatibant was in-licensed from Aventis in 2001. The European Commission granted marketing authorization for Firazyr in July 2008, making it the first product approved for HAE in all EU member states. The drug also received orphan drug status in both Europe and the United States, providing market exclusivity. Beyond HAE, Jerini's pipeline included development programs in ophthalmology, oncology, and inflammatory diseases, with a notable program targeting age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The company's growth was financed through several funding rounds, including a €20 million round in 2001 and a total of over €130 million from public and private financing. Jerini went public on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in November 2005. In July 2008, shortly after receiving European approval for Firazyr, Jerini agreed to be acquired by the British pharmaceutical company Shire plc for approximately $521 million (€328 million). The acquisition was seen as a strategic move by Shire to secure the European launch of Firazyr and add a complementary product to its portfolio. Following the acquisition, Shire conducted a strategic review of Jerini's other assets, leading to the divestment of its ophthalmic subsidiary and other pre-clinical projects. Shire itself was later acquired by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company in 2019.