Apeiron Therapeutics Focuses on Synthetic Lethality, Sells CDK7 Inhibitor Rights
Apeiron
Pharmaceutical R&D Developer
Exscientia
Developer of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Driven Drug Discovery Technology
July 18, 2024, San Francisco, USA, and Shanghai, China — Apeiron Therapeutics (referred to as "Apeiron"), a company invested in and incubated by Viva Biotech, announced that it has reached an agreement with Exscientia plc (NASDAQ: EXAI) regarding its highly selective oralCDK7 Inhibitor GTAEXS617(Summary: 617) 50% equity stake sold to Exscientia. The project is currently in the ELUCIDATE Phase 1/2 clinical trial stage.
According to the agreement, Apeiron will obtainWorth $30 MillionThe transaction consideration includes $10 million in cash, $10 million worth of Exscientia shares, and high single-digit royalties from the out-licensing of the project.Potential Value Exceeds $100 MillionIn addition, Exscientia will bear all the R&D expenses of the ongoing projects of 617.
ELUCIDATE is currently in the monotherapy dose-escalation phase, with recruitment proceeding smoothly. Data is expected to be available in the second half of 2024. The study is anticipated to transition to the combination therapy dose-escalation phase by the end of 2024 or early 2025. This phase will initially explore the combination of 617 with a Selective Estrogen Receptor Degrader (SERD) in HR+/HER2- breast cancer patients who have progressed after CDK4/6 treatment.
Dr. Mingxi Li, CEO of ApeironStated: "We are highly confident in the prospects of GTAEXS617 and believe that Exscientia possesses the optimal resources and capabilities to develop this project. GTAEXS617 will bring more treatment options and hope to cancer patients. This transaction allows us to focus our resources on other 'synthetic lethality' pipelines with significant potential, including the MTA/PRMT5 inhibitor GTA182, which is about to enter clinical trials."
About ELUCIDATE
ELUCIDATE Trial
The single-agent and combination therapy dose-escalation portions of the trial will enroll patients at multiple dose levels to determine the optimal biological dose (OBD). After determining the OBD, the trial will proceed to the dose-expansion phase. The primary efficacy endpoint of the expansion phase is the objective response rate (ORR).
Inhibiting the CDK7 protein kinase offers various potential benefits, including transcriptional suppression, reduction of abnormal kinome activation, cell cycle inhibition, and modulation of estrogen receptor activity, making it a highly promising target for overcoming resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors (which only target the cell cycle). We believe that based on the signaling pathway characteristics of CDK7 and AI-designed molecular structures enabling precise control over the extent/duration of target inhibition to maximize efficacy, 617 has the potential to overcome significant safety and efficacy limitations of approved therapies.
About Apeiron
Apeiron Redefines Drug Discovery with a Novel Approach, Utilizing Artificial Intelligence to Optimize the Entire Process of Drug Development – From Target Selection to Clinical Trials. With Two Strategic R&D Centers Located in Shanghai and the San Francisco Bay Area, Alongside Collaborations with Key Partners in Europe, Apeiron Therapeutics Successfully Integrates Top Talent and Cutting-Edge Technologies Across Regions. We Firmly Believe That by Continuously Pushing the Boundaries of Biomedical Innovation and Attracting Outstanding Global Talent, Apeiron Can Provide Breakthrough Drug Solutions for Significant Unmet Clinical Needs.
About Exscientia
Exscientia is a technology-driven drug design and development company committed to creating more effective drugs for patients faster. Exscientia combines precise design with integrated experiments, aiming to invent and develop the best drugs in the most efficient way. Operating at the intersection of human ingenuity, technology, and innovation in artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and physical engineering, we are pioneering the application of AI in drug discovery and are the first company to advance an AI-designed small molecule drug into clinical trials. We have developed an internal pipeline focused on oncology, while our collaborative pipeline extends to many other therapeutic areas. We believe that by leading this new approach to drug discovery, we can transform the fundamental economic model of drug discovery and rapidly translate the best scientific ideas into medicines for the benefit of patients.
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Viva Biotech (01873.HK) was established in 2008 and provides one-stop comprehensive services to global innovative drug R&D companies, ranging from early structure-based drug discovery to commercial drug production. With a leading advantage in the field of structure-based drug discovery (SBDD) technology, we offer CRO services for the new drug research phase to our global partners. We have built multiple advanced technology platforms, including X-ray protein crystallography, Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM), DNA Encoded Library (DEL), Affinity Selection Mass Spectrometry (ASMS), Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR), Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry (HDX-MS), AIDD/CADD, and more. Our team, led by experienced medicinal chemists and drug discovery biologists, provides services such as drug design, medicinal chemistry (H2L, LO), compound synthesis, chemical analysis and purification, kilogram-scale amplification, peptide synthesis, and corresponding bioactivity testing. Through our subsidiary Langhua Pharma, we provide one-stop CMC/CDMO solutions from preclinical development to commercial production. At the same time, we focus on discovering and investing in high-potential biopharmaceutical startups, utilizing a unique business model of exchanging technical services for equity (EFS) to address unmet clinical needs.
