Endometriosis occurs when cells that line the uterus or womb grow elsewhere in the body.
SR16234, a drug candidate of SRI, is a member of a class of drugs called selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) that regulate the effects of the hormone estrogen.
According to SRI Biosciences, the existing endometriosis treatments often address only the symptoms, such as pain and infertility, and not the underlying causes of the disease.
SRI Biosciences vice president Walter Moos said, "This important collaboration is addressing a critical, unmet medical need, and we are doing so via a novel therapeutic approach targeting the underlying biological mechanisms of endometriosis."
Nobelpharma president and CEO Jin Shiomura said, "After upcoming preliminary studies are completed, we hope to advance SR16234 into clinical trials in Japan for the treatment of endometriosis."