Scorpion Therapeutics, Inc., a US-based pioneering oncology company, and Pierre Fabre, a France-based pharmaceutical and dermo-cosmetic group, announced on Tuesday that they have entered into a collaboration and license agreement for the co-development of STX-721 and STX-241, two candidates in Scorpion's franchise of highly-selective, next-generation mutant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors.

Both products were discovered by Scorpion and are potentially best-in-class inhibitors of EGFR mutations and potent treatment options for emergent and unmet medical needs in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

According to the contract, Scorpion is to head clinical development of STX-721 and Pierre Fabre is to lead clinical development of STX-241. Scorpion is to retain commercialisation rights to STX-721 and STX-241 in the US, Canada and Japan, and Pierre Fabre will manage commercialisation activities in all other territories, with a concentration on Europe and China.

STX-721, a next-generation, orally delivered small molecule, is designed with potentially best-in-class selectivity to target Exon 20 insertion mutations in EGFR. STX-241, a fourth generation, orally delivered, central nervous system (CNS)-penetrant small molecule, is designed with potentially best-in-class selectivity to target resistance mutations at C797S.