Italy’s Menarini Group, through its subsidiary Stemline Therapeutics, has entered an exclusive license agreement with China’s Insilico Medicine to develop a KAT6A inhibitor originating from Insilico’s AI-driven platform. The candidate, targeted for hormone-sensitive cancers and other oncological indications, shows promise as a potent KAT6A inhibitor based on preclinical data.
KAT6A, an enzyme linked to the gene of the same name, has gained attention for its role in cancer. While mutations in KAT6A are associated with the rare Arboleda-Tham syndrome, its overexpression is observed in several cancer types and correlates with poor outcomes, especially in ER+/HER2- breast cancer patients. Insilico’s candidate has shown significant efficacy and safety in preclinical models, with initial data presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in December 2023.
Stemline is set to pay USD 12 million upfront, with additional potential development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments bringing the deal’s value to over USD 500 million, excluding up to double-digit royalties on future sales.
Insilico’s recent partnerships highlight its AI-powered platform’s growing industry demand, with recent deals including a USP1-targeted molecule license to Exelixis in November 2023, and a USD 1.2 billion drug discovery collaboration with Sanofi in 2022.- Flcube.com
