REG - Sareum Holdings PLC - Sareum Collaboration with Receptor.AI

Sareum HoldingsAnnouncement

12/08/2025 07:00

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RNS Number : 8738U  Sareum Holdings PLC  12 August 2025

Sareum Holdings PLC

("Sareum" or the "Company")

Sareum Announces Collaboration with Receptor.AI to Accelerate Discovery of
TYK2/JAK1 Inhibitors for Neuroinflammatory Diseases

 

Cambridge, UK, 12 August 2025 - Sareum Holdings plc (AIM: SAR), a
clinical-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation kinase
inhibitors for autoimmune disease and cancer, is pleased to announce it has
entered into a strategic collaboration with Receptor.AI, an Artificial
Intelligence (AI) and technology-driven drug discovery company.

The collaboration is focused on accelerating the discovery and optimisation of
blood-brain barrier (BBB)-permeable, isoform-selective TYK2/JAK1 inhibitors,
with the goal of generating high-quality candidates suitable for preclinical
development in neuroinflammatory indications, such as multiple sclerosis and
Parkinson's disease. There is strong scientific(*) and commercial interest in
the role of JAK inhibitors, particularly TYK2, in these neuroinflammatory
diseases, and the Company believes that a TYK2/JAK1 inhibitor that acts within
the brain will be a successful approach to their treatment.

The agreement is designed to augment and support Sareum's previously announced
(https://otp.tools.investis.com/clients/uk/sareum_holdings_plc/rns/regulatory-story.aspx?cid=2841&newsid=1933992)
preclinical work, which identified three TYK2/JAK1 compounds with meaningful
BBB penetration. The identified compounds include one that showed particularly
strong levels of free drug in the brain, reinforcing their potential in
treating diseases requiring central nervous system (CNS) exposure.

Sareum will oversee compound synthesis, laboratory testing, and profiling of
absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (collectively
known as ADMET) to assess how potential drug candidates behave in the body.

Receptor.AI will support this work with a tailored in-silico programme,
applying its proprietary AI-enabled platform to support compound discovery and
optimisation, using virtual screening and molecular design tools to identify
candidates with strong target binding, brain penetration, selectivity, and
synthetic feasibility. Designing BBB-permeable, isoform-selective kinase
inhibitors is challenging, and Receptor.AI's tools provide generative
chemistry and predictive modelling which significantly streamlines this
process, enhancing success and increasing the speed of early-stage
development.

The work for this project is expected to begin imminently and is expected to
complete within four months. Sareum will own all intellectual property and
compounds arising from the collaboration and there will be no ongoing
milestone payments due to Receptor.AI following the conclusion of project.

* Central TYK2 inhibition identifies TYK2 as a key neuroimmune modulator, PNAS
2025, 122 (13)

Dr Stephen Parker, Executive Chairman of Sareum, commented:

"This collaboration is a logical and timely next step following our recent
findings on BBB-penetrant TYK2/JAK1 inhibitors. Receptor.AI's expertise in
integrating predictive modelling and generative chemistry into the discovery
process will help us accelerate the identification of high-potential
candidates for neuroinflammatory conditions.  This technology allows us to
harness the speed and accuracy of AI to derisk and optimise our discovery and
early development."

 

Dr Alan Nafiev, Chief Executive Officer of Receptor.AI, added:

"Our partnership with Sareum reflects the potential for AI to systematically
optimise early-stage discovery. Our closed-loop workflow enables
multi-parameter optimisation from day one, combining structural modelling,
generative chemistry, and predictive profiling to address binding,
selectivity, brain penetration, and synthetic feasibility simultaneously."

 

- ENDS-

For further information, please contact:

 Sareum Holdings plc

 Stephen Parker, Executive Chairman   01223 497700

                                      ir@sareum.co.uk

 Strand Hanson Limited                020 7409 3494

 (Nominated Adviser)

 James Dance / James Bellman

 Oberon Capital (Joint Broker)

 Mike Seabrook / Nick Lovering        020 3179 5300

 ICR Healthcare (Financial PR)

 Jessica Hodgson / Davide Salvi       020 3709 5700

 

About Sareum

Sareum (AIM: SAR) is a biotechnology company developing next generation kinase
inhibitors for autoimmune disease and cancer.

The Company is focused on developing next generation small molecules which
modify the activity of the JAK kinase family and have best-in-class potential.
Its lead candidate, SDC-1801, simultaneously inhibits TYK2 and JAK1. SDC-1801
is a potential treatment for a range of autoimmune diseases, with a planned
initial focus on psoriasis.

Sareum is also developing SDC-1802, a TYK2/JAK1 inhibitor with a potential
application for cancer immunotherapy.

The Company has recently acquired the license for SRA737, a clinical-stage
Checkpoint kinase 1 inhibitor that targets cancer cell replication and DNA
damage repair mechanisms.

Sareum Holdings plc is based in Cambridge, UK, and is quoted on the AIM market
of the London Stock Exchange, trading under the ticker SAR. For further
information, please visit the Company's website at www.sareum.com
(http://www.sareum.com)

About Receptor.AI

Receptor.AI is a preclinical TechBio company specialising in generative AI for
drug discovery. Receptor.AI has developed a robust, validated AI-driven
ecosystem tailored to address complex protein targets, comprising three core
platforms:

Small Molecule Platform: De novo AI-driven design of small molecules by
leveraging key interactions related to biological activity with optimisation
of over 80 drug properties.

Peptides Platform: AI-guided de novo design and optimization of linear and
cyclic peptides against challenging targets, including "undruggable"
protein-protein interactions.

Induced Proximity Platform: Engineering ternary complexes to transform
structurally unresolved native and induced PPIs into druggable targets.

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