BRIEF—Ikena to work with AstraZeneca on targeted therapies

Boston, Massachusetts-based Ikena Oncology has announced a clinical trial collaboration with AstraZeneca, for the evaluation of Tagrisso (osimertinib), together with its lead candidate, in EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The firm also provided an R&D update on its lead targeted oncology program. The firm is developing IK-930, a TEAD inhibitor addressing the Hippo signaling pathway.

This first-in-class candidate has a selectivity profile which the firm believes could distinguish it as a monotherapy, as well as in combination with other targeted therapies where resistance has emerged.

Chief development officer Jeffrey Ecsedy said: “The Hippo pathway is implicated in therapeutic resistance to multiple therapies, including osimertinib.”

He said the collaboration would “allow us to investigate how IK-930 could benefit patients with EGFR mutated cancers who have had difficulty responding to current treatments alone and demonstrate how combination with IK-930 could potentially enable deeper and prolonged anti-tumor responses.”

Under the clinical trial collaboration agreement AstraZeneca will provide Ikena with osimertinib non-exclusively for evaluation in combination with IK-930 in patients with EGFRm resistant NSCLC.