Bristol-Myers Squibb to acquire Mirati

"Mirati’s assets are a strong fit with Bristol Myers Squibb’s portfolio and innovative pipeline and represent an attractive opportunity to grow Bristol Myers Squibb’s oncology franchise," the release stated.

Through this acquisition, Bristol Myers Squibb will add KRAZATI, an important lung cancer medicine, to its commercial portfolio. The company gains access to several promising clinical assets that complement its oncology pipeline and are strong candidates for single agent development and combination strategies.

Mirati’s portfolio includes:

• KRAZATI (adagrasib), which was granted accelerated U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of adult patients with KRAS^G12C-mutated locally advanced or metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) who have received at least one prior systemic therapy. KRAS^G12C mutations represent one of the most frequent alterations in NSCLC, accounting for approximately 14% of all NSCLC patients. KRAZATI also has several attributes that position it favorably versus other KRAS^G12C inhibitors, including its long half-life, and its demonstrated ability to be combined with a PD-1 inhibitor in first-line treatment of NSCLC in Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials. Adagrasib has shown central nervous system (CNS) penetration and intracranial responses in patients with active and untreated brain metastases. Additionally, it has shown strong efficacy data as a second- and third-line treatment for patients with colorectal cancer in combination with cetuximab, and as a monotherapy in previously treated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Plans are underway to work with regulators to bring adagrasib to patients in these treatment settings in the near future;
  
• MRTX1719, a potential first-in-class MTA-cooperative PRMT5 inhibitor in Phase 1 development has shown encouraging early efficacy data across several tumor types with MTAP deletion, including NSCLC, cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) and melanoma, with no evidence to date of meaningful hematologic toxicities associated with non-selective PRMT5 inhibitors. MRTX1719 targets MTAP-deleted tumors that comprise approximately 10% of all cancers. Phase 2 clinical trial initiation for MRTX1719 is expected in the first half of 2024;
• A leading KRAS and KRAS enablingprogram, including MRTX1133 and MRTX0902. MRTX1133 targets the KRAS^G12D mutation, which is implicated in key tumor types, such as pancreatic cancer, NSCLC and colorectal cancer. MRTX0902 is a SOS1 inhibitor in Phase 1 clinical development with the potential for combination use with other agents targeting the MAPK/RAS pathway, including KRAZATI. The KRAS^G12D mutation is implicated in over 30% of pancreatic cancer patients, a disease with high unmet medical need.

“We are excited to add these assets to our portfolio and to accelerate their development as we seek to deliver more treatments for cancer patients,” said Giovanni Caforio, Chief Executive Officer and Board Chair, Bristol Myers Squibb. “With a strong strategic fit, great science and clear value creation opportunities for our shareholders, the Mirati transaction is aligned with our business development goals. Importantly, by leveraging our skills and capabilities, including our global commercial infrastructure, we will ensure patients globally can benefit from Mirati’s portfolio of innovative medicines.”

“With multiple targeted oncology assets including KRAZATI, Mirati is another important step forward in our efforts to grow our diversified oncology portfolio and further strengthen Bristol Myers Squibb’s pipeline for the latter half of the decade and beyond,” said Chris Boerner, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer-Elect, Bristol Myers Squibb. “The  news builds upon our long legacy of delivering breakthrough therapies that transform the lives of people with cancer. We are impressed with the science that the talented people of Mirati have driven in service of patients, and we look forward to welcoming them to Bristol Myers Squibb.”

Samit Hirawat, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Drug Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, said, “Mirati strengthens and complements our current portfolio by adding assets focused on intrinsic tumor targets in the MTAP and MAPK pathways. We believe Mirati’s assets have the potential to change the standard of care in multiple cancers, both as standalone therapies and in combination with Bristol Myers Squibb’s existing pipeline. We are excited about the significant potential that this transaction creates to transform patients’ lives through science around the world.”

“Since our founding 10 years ago, Mirati has made significant strides in transforming the lives of patients living with cancer through the development of innovative therapies. Through our discovery and development of next-generation targeted cancer therapeutics, we have built a robust pipeline of potentially best-in-class treatments that offer renewed hope for patients,” said Charles Baum, M.D., Ph.D., Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. “This transaction is a testament to the potential of our platform and to our team’s hard work and dedication to changing lives. Bristol Myers Squibb’s global scale, resources and commitment to innovation will enable Mirati’s therapeutics to benefit more patients, faster, and deliver on our vision of unlocking the science behind the promise of a life beyond cancer. We believe that this transaction is the best way to benefit patients and maximize value for shareholders.”

The transaction is expected to be treated as a business combination and to be dilutive to Bristol Myers Squibb’s non-GAAP earnings per share by approximately $0.35 per share in the first 12 months after the transaction closes.