has signed a licensing agreement with Pinetree Therapeutics for a preclinical epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) degrader candidate, potentially worth more than $545m. AstraZeneca will pay $45m upfront for global developmental and commercialisation rights for the pan-EGFR degrader, and Pinetree will also be in line to receive up to $500m in milestone-based payments along with tiered royalties on sales. “[The] pan-EGFR degrader was developed from AbReptor, our proprietary multispecific antibody platform and has demonstrated promising preclinical anti-tumour activity in drug-resistant and tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-resistant tumours, as well as enhanced activity when used in combination with current EGFR inhibitors,” said Dr Hojuhn Song, founder and CEO of Pinetree.
, often called molecular glues, have been a growing area of interest in recent years. Most of these therapies are developed in oncology. According to GlobalData’s drug database, over 200 therapies in development have been classified as molecular glue drugs.
GlobalData is the parent company of . Several top pharmaceutical companies have invested in in recent years. In February, with US-based biotech Neomorph to discover and develop multiple for cardiometabolic disorders and rare diseases.
As per the agreement, Neomorph will be responsible for the discovery and preclinical research while Novo will have exclusive rights to further clinical development and commercialisation. Access the most comprehensive.