DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Inflection Biosciences (Inflection), a company developing innovative therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, and AUM Biosciences (AUM), a company focused on the development of innovative and affordable oncology medicines with high unmet medical need in Asia, today announced a global license agreement for Inflection’s first-in-class PIM/PI3K/mTOR inhibitors. The agreement will provide AUM with exclusive worldwide rights to develop, manufacture and commercialise these inhibitors with Inflection receiving an upfront payment, milestone payments and royalties on future sales.
Known as the IBL-300 series of molecules, the agreement will see AUM develop the lead candidate, IBL-302 (hereafter AUM302), which is currently in the pre-clinical stage of development. AUM302 is a first-in-class kinase inhibitor designed to inhibit three critical cancer targets (pan-PIM kinase, pan-PI3K and mTOR inhibition) via a single molecule. Inhibiting these three targets has synergistic anticancer effects and has been shown to be more effective than inhibiting the targets alone.
AUM302 has been evaluated in over 700 cancer cell lines and has shown potential for clinical development in breast cancer, lung cancer, leukaemia and neuroblastoma. AUM plans to commence Investigational New Drug (IND) enabling studies for AUM302 by 2020.
Mr Vishal Doshi, CEO, AUM said: “We are committed to accelerating the development of high potential molecules for the benefit of patients in the Asia-Pacific region and globally. Our collaboration with Inflection Biosciences is an important milestone in further realising this commitment.”
Mr Darren Cunningham, CEO, Inflection added: “Inflection Biosciences is committed to developing innovative targeted therapeutics for the benefit of cancer patients worldwide. We are pleased to partner with AUM Biosciences who will bring considerable drug development experience and expertise to ensure AUM302 is advanced towards regulatory approval in Asia and globally.”
Inflection was advised by Oncology Partners LLC, New York.