NHS AND DERMATOLOGY
Jazz Pharmaceuticals and Redx Pharma have announced that the companies have signed a definitive agreement under which Jazz will acquire Redx’s Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS) inhibitor programme.
The companies plan to collaborate in order to see the drug candidates through IND-enabling studies, however Jazz will be responsible for the clinical development, regulatory, manufacturing and commercialisation activities.
Under the terms of the agreement, Jazz will pay Redx an upfront $10m for ‘all rights, patents, title and interest replating to Redx’s proprietary KRAS inhibitor programme, which includes G12D selective and pan-KRAS molecules’, according to the press release. Redx will also be eligible for development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments up to $870m.
Robert Iannone MD MSCE, executive vice president, global head of research and development of Jazz Pharmaceuticals, commented: “KRAS is a well-validated oncology target and there remains a high unmet need for innovation in this area based on challenges in developing molecules to target specific KRAS mutations. Redx has discovered a number of preclinical KRAS candidates and we plan to leverage our collective oncology development expertise to identify and advance the most promising molecules toward the clinic. This transaction further expands our early-stage oncology pipeline, and we are excited to explore novel approaches to improving treatment options for cancer patients.”
Lisa Anson, chief executive officer of Redx, added: “Onceagain,ourdistinguishedexpertiseinmedicinal chemistry has been recognised and we are pleased to secure another strategic transaction with Jazz, with whom we have a track record of collaboration. This agreement will allow us to collaborate on the advancement of novel KRAS inhibitors and we look forward to supporting Jazz in progressing these candidates through IND-enabling studies. Partnerships remain a key pillar of our corporate strategy, allowing us to advance what we believe are differentiated molecules in areas of high unmet need, while also creating long-term shareholder value through non-dilutive funding, with the upfront milestone payment from this agreement extending our current cash runway into 2025.”