Celgene and Nimbus Therapeutics Expand Strategic Collaboration to Advance HPK1 Inhibitor for Cancer Immunotherapy

Today, Nimbus Therapeutics announced an expansion of its long-term strategic R&D collaboration with Celgene to include Nimbus’s hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) inhibitor development program. Nimbus Therapeutics is a biotechnology company dedicated to leveraging its computational expertise to accelerate drug discovery and development. The company’s HPK1 inhibitor holds promise as an innovative cancer therapy, either as a standalone treatment or in combination with existing cancer immunotherapies, to enhance therapeutic efficacy.

HPK1 is a member of the MAP4K family and serves as an intracellular negative regulator of T cell proliferation and signaling, playing a critical role in dendritic cell activation. Due to its functions in T cells and dendritic cells, as well as its potential to enhance immune surveillance against cancer, HPK1 has emerged as a highly scrutinized target in cancer immunology. To date, the primary challenge associated with HPK1 has been that small-molecule inhibitors generally lack sufficient selectivity, often inhibiting other T cell kinases or members of the MAP4K family alongside HPK1.

Nimbus Therapeutics possesses deep expertise in computational chemistry and has established a long-term partnership with Schrödinger, a partner of WuXi AppTec, to leverage its in silico chemical simulation platform for overcoming challenges in R&D projects. This collaboration enables the rapid design, iteration, and optimization of lead compounds. In the HPK1 inhibitor program, Nimbus will apply its expertise to enhance the specificity of HPK1 inhibitors, ensuring high selectivity and potent cellular activity.

▲HPK1 Structure (Image source: Nimbus Therapeutics official website)

Under the terms of the agreement, Nimbus Therapeutics, Inc. will continue to conduct research and development activities until reaching specified clinical stages, at which point Celgene Corporation shall have the option to acquire the R&D project.

“We value the innovation brought by the Nimbus team and look forward to delivering novel immunotherapies with robust efficacy to patients through our joint efforts,” said Dr. Robert Hershberg, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Global Alliances at Celgene.

“We are pleased to expand our collaboration with Celgene Corporation and benefit from its capabilities in the development of cancer immunotherapies,” added Mr. Jeb Keiper, CEO of Nimbus Therapeutics.

Reference Materials:

[1] Nimbus Therapeutics and Celgene Expand Alliance to Immunotherapy in Oncology. Retrieved July 9th, 2019, from https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190709005178/en/Nimbus-Therapeutics-Celgene-Expand-Alliance-Immunotherapy-Oncology

[2] Celgene turns to Nimbus on ‘highly prized’ I/O target — landing right in Bristol-Myers’ sweet spot. Retrieved July 9, 2019, from https://endpts.com/celgene-turns-to-nimbus-on-highly-prized-i-o-target-landing-right-in-bristol-myers-sweet-spot/

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