Astellas, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute To Study Oncogenic K-Ras Inhibitors
By Cyndi Root
Astellas Pharma intends to conduct oncology treatment studies with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The two companies announced the move in a press release, stating that the three-year collaboration will focus on small molecule inhibitors of oncogenic K-Ras, a commonly mutated oncogene. Cancers such as lung and pancreatic cancer, have a high prevalence of K-Ras mutations, also known as rasmutations. Nathanael Gray, Ph.D., in the Cancer Biology department at Dana-Farber, will head the project. He said, “We are excited to work with a top-tier pharmaceutical company committed to innovative oncology research on this collaboration, and to develop novel inhibitors to this molecular target that have thus far been inaccessible.”
Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., Senior VP and Chief Strategy Officer at Astellas, also commented on the new partnership, saying that it meets Astellas’ strategy for making new drug discoveries with external partners. Astellas has agreed to provide research support, including preclinical studies and development of K-Ras inhibitors. The company will pursue viable candidates, as it has obtained an option to acquire an exclusive, worldwide license to novel K-Ras inhibitors obtained from the research collaboration. Astellas will conduct research and development thereafter if suitable therapeutics are found.
K-Ras Inhibitors
Dr. Gray states that despite 20 years of research, K-Ras is difficult to target. He said that the work that Astellas and Dana-Farber will conduct is a whole new approach to developing K-Ras inhibitors. Dr. Gray and collaborators explained their approach in two recent papers. The article titled, “In situ selectivity profiling and crystal structure of SML-8-73-1, an active site inhibitor of oncogenic K-Ras G12C,” was published in PNAS, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Gray says the paper offers a more detailed explanation than an earlier paper.
About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute collaborates regularly with members of industry. Its Office of Research and Technology Ventures (ORTV) would be involved in the Astellas partnership, as it works to evaluate the commercial value of technologies developed at Dana-Farber. As Astellas has obtained an option to license K-Ras inhibitors, the ORTV would manage licensing and royalty income, preside over technology transfer, and facilitate further clinical research relationships.