Gilead takes up option for Nurix' NX-0479

US biotech major Gilead Sciences (Nasdaq: GILD) has exercised its option to exclusively license Nurix Therapeutics’ (Nasdaq: NRIX) investigational targeted protein degrader molecule NX‑0479, with the news sending the latter’s share price up 6.5% to $9.60 by late afternoon on Monday.

This bivalent degrader, now designated GS-6791, is the first development candidate resulting from the previously announced Nurix-Gilead collaboration to discover, develop, and commercialize a pipeline of innovative targeted protein degradation therapies.

GS-6791 is a potent, selective, oral IRAK4 degrader that targets both the scaffold and kinase functions of the IRAK4 protein kinase to block inflammatory responses downstream of toll-like receptors (TLR) and the pro-inflammatory interleukin (IL)1 cytokine family of receptors (IL1Rs). Degradation of IRAK4 by GS-6791 is hypothesized to have more sustained and deeper inhibition of TLR/IL1Rs signaling as compared to kinase inhibition due to its potential impact on additional signaling nodes. IRAK4 degradation has potential applications in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other inflammatory diseases.