19 July 2019 - - Irish small molecule therapeutics developer Inflection Biosciences (Inflection) and Singapore-based AUM Biosciences, a company focused on the development of innovative and affordable oncology medicines with high unmet medical need in Asia, have inked a global license agreement for Inflection's first-in-class PIM/PI3K/mTOR inhibitors, the companies said.
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 enabling studies for AUM302 by 2020.
Inflection was advised by Oncology Partners LLC, New York.
Inflection Biosciences Ltd, based in Dublin, is developing small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. The company's pipeline of innovative cancer treatments was licensed from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre.
The pipeline comprises the first-in-class dual mechanism kinase inhibitors AUM-300 series (PIM/PI3K/mTOR inhibitors) partnered with AUM Biosciences, and internal programmes IBL-202 (PIM/PI3K inhibitor) and the IBL-100 series (selective pan-PIM kinase inhibitors), currently in pre-clinical stages of development. Inflection Biosciences was named 'Start-up company of the Year' at the 2014 Irish Pharma Awards.
AUM Biosciences is an oncology-focused Asian biotechnology company committed to developing affordable cancer therapies.
Dedicated to unlocking the value in innovation, we harness the power of precision medicine, and digital health to support patients, physicians and our partners.
AUM focuses on early-stage development of innovative treatment of cancers prevalent in Asia with the potential to address global markets.
Led by a highly-experienced management team with over 100 years of oncology drug development experience combined, AUM develops potent and highly selective therapeutics in oncology, with an aim to change the drug development paradigm by implementing a holistic approach to developing drugs.
Headquartered in Singapore, AUM is strategically positioned to work with, partner and collaborate with leading research institutes, clinicians and pharmaceutical companies globally. AUM is the recipient of Frost and Sullivan's 2019 Asia-Pacific Biotech Entrepreneurial company of the Year.