Taiho Pharmaceutical Out-Licenses LSD1 Inhibitor, TAS1440 to Benz Sciences

On June 2, 2025 Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Taiho Pharmaceutical") and Benz Sciences Inc. (hereinafter "Benz Sciences") reported that the two companies have entered into a license agreement for TAS1440, a LSD1 (lysine-specific demethylase 1) inhibitor discovered by Taiho Pharmaceutical (Press release, Taiho, JUN 2, 2025, View Source [SID1234653623]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Under the terms of agreement, Benz Sciences will obtain exclusive worldwide rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize TAS1440 (new development code SFG-03). Taiho Pharmaceutical will receive from Benz Sciences an upfront payment, milestone payments based on development progress and sales, and royalties.

TAS1440 is an orally administrable, small-molecule compound, reversible inhibitor of LSD1, an enzyme critical for hematopoiesis. It has been reported that the LSD1 gene is overexpressed in myeloproliferative neoplasms,1 diseases characterized by the excessive production of blood cells due to acquired genetic mutations in hematopoietic stem cells. Benz Sciences will undertake preparations in the United States for the Phase 1b/2 trial of TAS1440 for the treatment of myeloproliferative neoplasms.

About TAS1440
TAS1440 is a histone-competitive LSD1 inhibitor that binds to the histone H3 binding site of LSD1 to reversibly inhibit LSD1. LSD1, a critical enzyme that regulates the proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells and the maturation of progenitor cells,2 is expected to be a therapeutic target for diseases such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myeloproliferative neoplasms. TAS1440 has completed a Phase 1 trial targeting AML in the United States, and the results of this trial are undergoing analysis at this time.