In a recent development, Roche Inc.’s subsidiary Genentech has given notice of termination for a license and collaboration agreement with Relay Therapeutics Inc., affecting the development of an oral small-molecule Src homology region 2 domain-containing phosphatase-2 (SHP2) inhibitor, RLY-1971, now known as migoprotafib or GDC-1971 .
The termination, effective 180 days from the notice, ends a partnership initiated in December 2020, where Roche gained development and commercial rights to the SHP2 inhibitor and had an upfront payment of USD 100 million, with potential milestone payments up to USD 695 million . Relay Therapeutics has received USD 121.8 million from Genentech, including upfront and milestone payments, and will no longer be eligible for future payments .
RLY-1971 was part of four Phase I trials by Genentech, exploring its use in treating general solid tumors, including colorectal and non-small cell lung cancer, in combination with other drugs like the KRAS G12C inhibitor GDC-6036 . The termination follows a trend of big pharmaceutical companies stepping back from SHP2 inhibitors. Sanofi, AbbVie, and Bristol-Myers Squibb have made similar moves, each ending partnerships with Revolution Medicines, Jacobio Pharma, and BridgeBio Pharma, respectively, in the past two years .
Despite the setback, companies like Novartis and Merck continue to develop SHP2 inhibitors, indicating the field is not entirely devoid of promise . For Relay Therapeutics, the termination means it will need to reassess its strategy for migoprotafib, which was seen as a potential backbone for combination therapies across various solid tumors . The decision by Genentech may prompt Relay to seek new partnerships or focus on advancing its remaining pipeline independently.- Flcube.com
