Allorion inks another licensing deal, this one with Avenzo

China and USA-based Allorion Therapeutics has announced a second licensing deal within a few days, this time entering an exclusive agreement with US clinical-state biotech Avenzo Therapeutics.

Avenzo will gain rights to develop and commercialize AVZO-021 (formerly ARTS-021), a potentially best-in-class cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) selective inhibitor globally (excluding Greater China). As part of the agreement, Avenzo also receives an exclusive option for an additional pre-clinical program planned for investigational new drug (IND) submission in early 2025.

CDK2 has emerged as a promising target given its role as a resistance mechanism to approved CDK4/6 therapies in hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) breast cancer, and given its role as an oncogene in many cyclin E1 (CCNE1) amplified cancers. Avenzo will leverage its internal drug development expertise to advance AVZO-021, which is currently being studied in a Phase I clinical trial across multiple sites in the USA for the treatment of HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer and other advanced solid tumors.