Takeda Pharmaceutical Company has entered into a global collaboration and license agreement with Halozyme Therapeutics to use Halozyme’s proprietary ENHANZE® drug delivery technology with vedolizumab, the active ingredient in Takeda’s blockbuster inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) therapy ENTYVIO®. The agreement gives Takeda exclusive access to the technology for this product and reflects the company’s strategy to continue enhancing established therapies through innovation and partnerships.
ENTYVIO is currently approved for the treatment of adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, the two most common forms of IBD. These chronic conditions are marked by periods of remission and relapse, often requiring long-term management and multiple lines of therapy over a patient’s lifetime. With global IBD prevalence expected to exceed 10 million people by 2032, Takeda has emphasized the need to broaden treatment options and improve patient experiences worldwide.
The collaboration with Halozyme is intended to unlock new possibilities for vedolizumab by enabling its use with ENHANZE®, a drug delivery platform designed to facilitate subcutaneous administration of injectable medicines. ENHANZE uses recombinant human hyaluronidase PH20 (rHuPH20) to temporarily modify the subcutaneous space, allowing for faster and more convenient drug delivery. For patients, this approach has the potential to reduce treatment time and increase flexibility in how therapies are administered.
“For more than a decade, vedolizumab has played a pivotal role in helping patients manage ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease,” said Dr. Robert Hollowell, Head of Global Product and Launch Strategy, GI and Inflammation at Takeda. He noted that integrating ENHANZE technology aligns with Takeda’s focus on addressing unmet patient needs and improving treatment experiences while reinforcing its leadership in gastrointestinal and inflammatory diseases.
Halozyme President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Helen Torley highlighted the broader impact of the partnership, stating that ENHANZE is a commercially validated platform already used in multiple approved therapies. She added that the collaboration demonstrates the versatility of the technology across therapeutic areas and its ability to help patients spend less time on treatment and more time on daily life.
Financially, the agreement includes an upfront payment from Takeda to Halozyme, along with potential development and commercial milestone payments. Halozyme is also eligible to receive royalties on sales of vedolizumab products that incorporate ENHANZE technology.
ENHANZE has already been used in ten commercialized products across more than 100 markets and has reached over one million patients globally. Through this partnership, Takeda aims to further expand access to vedolizumab and continue advancing care for people living with IBD around the world.