Novo Nordisk Divests Global Rights to USP1 Inhibitor FT-3171 to Debiopharm

On March 2, Debiopharm announced an agreement with Novo Nordisk to acquire the global rights to USP1 inhibitor FT-3171, without disclosing the specific transaction amount.

FT-3171 is a small molecule Ubiquitin-Specific Protease 1 (USP1) inhibitor targeting a novel DNA Damage Repair (DDR) pathway, developed by Forma Therapeutics. It is currently in the preclinical stage. In September 2022, Novo Nordisk acquired Forma Therapeutics for $1.1 billion, gaining all of the company’s pipeline products.

USP1 is a deubiquitinating enzyme localized in the nucleus that participates in the DNA repair process. It plays a role in the Fanconi anemia pathway (FANCD2 and FANC1) and the translesion synthesis (TLS) pathway (PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen)). It catalyzes the removal of specific monoubiquitin signals and is a key regulator in maintaining genomic integrity. Studies show that USP1 dysfunction is closely related to the occurrence and development of cancer. Moreover, USP1 is a novel synthetic lethal component in BRCA1-deficient mutations, showing potential for treating cancer patients resistant to PARP inhibitors.

Debiopharm stated that it will develop a combination therapy of FT-3171 with the WEE1 inhibitor Debio 0123 to reinforce its commitment to enhancing treatment response rates in cancer patients and overcoming resistance to current therapies.

According to the company's official website, Debiopharm’s pipeline includes 15 research products, mainly focusing on oncology and infectious diseases. Xevinapant is the most advanced product in its pipeline and also the world’s only apoptosis inhibitor protein (IAP) antagonist that has entered the late-stage development phase. It is currently undergoing Phase III clinical trials for adjuvant treatment combined with radiotherapy and first-line treatment combined with chemoradiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Merck KGaA holds the global development and commercialization rights to this product.

USP1 and IAP are both relatively novel anti-cancer targets. For the former, only KSQ-4279 developed by KSQ Therapeutics has entered the clinical stage, while for the latter, only 11 products have entered the clinical stage.

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