Big Pharma Places Bets on Challenging KRAS G12D Inhibitors
Big pharma companies are making large-scale bets on KRAS G12D inhibitors, despite their challenging nature. Merck (MSD) recently acquired the rights to a KRAS G12D inhibitor from Cybreon Therapeutics for $2.13 billion, including a $400 million upfront payment.
Germany's Bayer also in-licensed a KRAS G12D inhibitor from Kumquat Biosciences for up to $1.3 billion at the preclinical stage.
The KRAS G12D mutation is a difficult target to develop drugs against, as it has no structural weaknesses for drugs to latch onto. However, new drug design technologies are emerging, making it a competitive area in oncology research.
Johnson & Johnson (J&J) invested in PAQ Therapeutics, which develops KRAS G12D protein degraders, and acquired Firefly Bio for $1 billion. Firefly's DAC platform targets KRAS mutations simultaneously, including G12D, G12V, and G12R.
Eli Lilly and Company is developing both a KRAS G12D inhibitor and a pan-KRAS inhibitor, which are currently in phase 1a/1b trials.