On January 09, 2023 Kronos Bio, Inc., a company dedicated to transforming the lives of those affected by cancer, reported that it has entered into a discovery collaboration in the field of oncology with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, focused on discovering and developing small-molecule drugs that modulate transcription factor targets selected by Genentech (Press release, Genentech, JAN 9, 2023, View Source [SID1234629876]).
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The partnership will allow Genentech to leverage Kronos Bio’s expertise to identify protein-protein interactions, genetic dependencies and gene expression signatures to better understand and target the oncogenic activity of transcription factors in cancer types of interest. Under the collaboration, researchers at the two companies will collaborate using Kronos Bio’s proprietary drug discovery platform, including the small molecule microarray (SMM) for hit finding, to build upon research conducted to date by Genentech.
"This, our first collaboration, brings together expertise from both companies with the goal of answering fundamental scientific questions about the biology of cancer that we hope will one day lead to the advancement of new clinical candidates," said Norbert Bischofberger, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Kronos Bio. "We are pleased to be able to leverage our unique platform to collaborate with Genentech to further Kronos Bio’s understanding of transcription-driven oncogenesis and ability to identify novel targets involved."
Kronos Bio will lead discovery and research activities to a defined preclinical point when Genentech will have the exclusive right to pursue further preclinical and clinical development and commercialization. Under the terms of the agreement, Kronos Bio will receive an upfront payment of $20 million and be eligible for additional payments, which could total up to $554 million, based on reaching certain milestones, including discovery, preclinical, clinical and commercial milestones, as well as tiered royalties on any potential products that are commercialized as a result of the collaboration.
"We are excited about the possibilities that this collaboration with Kronos Bio brings to further our understanding of complex scientific networks with the goal of bringing highly effective medicines to patients," said James Sabry, Global Head of Roche Pharma Partnering.
About Kronos Bio’s Discovery Engine
Kronos Bio is focused on targeting the activity of oncogenic transcription factors that have a well-defined and central role in driving particular types of cancer. The company leverages its expertise to map transcription regulatory networks, enabling the identification of protein-protein interactions, genetic dependencies and gene expression signatures of specific oncogenic transcription factors in cancers of interest. Utilizing these transcription regulatory network maps, the company relies on a number of tools, including its proprietary Small Molecule Microarray (SMM) to screen for new drug starting points.