BRIEF—SpringWorks Therapeutics announces new collaborations

SpringWorks Therapeutics, a start-up set up by US pharma giant Pfizer to take forward a number of drug programs, today announced that it has entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Dana-Farber) and a sponsored research agreement (SRA) with Stanford Medicine for a portfolio of novel small molecule inhibitors of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) designed for the treatment of EGFR-mutant lung cancers.

The portfolio, which was originally developed in the laboratory of Nathanael Gray, Professor of Chemical and Systems Biology, co-director of Cancer Drug Discovery, and co-leader of the Cancer Therapeutics Research Program at Stanford Medicine, includes several differentiated, first-in-class chemical series representing novel approaches to targeting mutant EGFR and is designed to address both de novo oncogenic drivers and emerging resistance mutations to existing EGFR inhibitors.

The most advanced asset in the portfolio is currently in lead optimization and targets the C797S resistance mutation.

Also enters deal with Ab Magnitude

SpringWorks has also entered into a collaboration agreement with Ab Magnitude Ventures Group and Ab Magnitude Fund, for the development of next-generation targeted oncology therapeutics.

SpringWorks and Ab Magnitude will collaborate on target discovery and initial hit finding to advance next generation oncology therapeutics.

In addition, the parties will also collaborate on a portfolio of novel EGFR inhibitors in-licensed by SpringWorks from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute with Ab Magnitude supporting optimization and characterization of the portfolio using its computational platform.

Under the terms of this agreement, Ab Magnitude is eligible for low single-digit percentage royalties on future net sales of products or other realizations of value arising from the collaboration.