Forendo Pharma Acquired by Organon

Organon and Forendo Pharma announced today that they had reached a definitive agreement under which Organon will acquire Forendo, a clinical-stage drug development business specializing in new treatments for women’s health. Forendo is a leader in intracrinology, using a unique, tissue-specific technique to treat disease. Its flagship clinical product is an experimental, potentially first-in-class oral 17-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 inhibitor in early clinical development for endometriosis. It is being tested for its effect on endometriotic lesions.

Endometriosis is a chronic illness that affects up to one out of every ten women of reproductive age. Organon is committed to providing medically significant women’s healthcare solutions, prioritizing illness areas based on unmet needs. Endometriosis is one of our most important fields of research. Our purchase of Forendo Pharma reflects our dedication to developing a pipeline of effective treatment alternatives for women with unmet medical needs.

Forendo’s flagship experimental clinical drug, FOR-6219, appears to prevent the conversion of low potency estrone to very potent estradiol in endometriotic lesions ex vivo, according to a preclinical study. This experimental molecule differs from currently available treatments because of its potential capacity to operate locally in the target tissues without affecting systemic hormone levels. Because of this possibly selective activity, it can be tested as a long-term endometriosis treatment option.

There are presently no authorized long-term treatments for endometriosis. FOR-6219 is now in Phase 2 of clinical trials. In addition, a preclinical study targeting polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), one of the most frequent women’s health diseases associated with metabolic abnormalities, hyperandrogenism, and infertility, is also in Forendo Pharma pipeline. PCOS is a priority illness area for Organon because there are presently no authorized medicines for it.