Genentech has deepened its discovery and development efforts by forging three new collaborations in its key therapeutic areas of neurology and oncology. In each of the July deals, with Convelo Therapeutics, Skyhawk Therapeutics and Sosei Heptares, Genentech will hold exclusive worldwide marketing rights to resulting drugs.

The partnership with Convelo centers on discovering first-in-class remyelinating therapies to treat neurodegenerative diseases, including multiple sclerosis. Convelo has developed a platform to identify drug candidates capable of directly stimulating oligodendrocyte progenitor cells in the central nervous system to form new myelin. The company will receive an up-front payment and research support from Genentech, which as part of the deal gets an option to acquire the company.

The second transaction, with Skyhawk, aims to discover small molecules that correct defects in RNA splicing, for use in oncology and neurology. Genentech receives options to license and develop RNA splicing modifier drug candidates that Skyhawk may identify using its SkySTART platform, which combines structural, kinetic and computational models. In exchange Skyhawk receives up-front and milestone payments worth more than $2 billion.

The third collaboration taps Sosei Heptares’ expertise in G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-focused structure-based drug design. Genentech is paying $26 million up front plus milestones for Sosei Heptares to use its GPCR-oriented platform to identify biologics and small molecules against targets Genentech chooses, covering a range of diseases the parties have not disclosed. GPCRs are popular but often intractable drug targets. Sosei Heptares is already partnered with several pharmas and biotechs around GPCRs, including Astra-Zeneca (immuno-oncology), Allergan (Alzheimer’s disease), Daiichi Sankyo (pain), Pfizer (multiple diseases), Kymab (immuno-oncology) and MorphoSys (monoclonal antibodies, including one against protease-activated receptor 2). Sosei, headquartered in Tokyo, acquired London-based Heptares Therapeutics in early 2015.