Gilead Sciences exercises option to license Nurix's investigational targeted protein degrader molecule NX-0479
Foster City: Gilead Sciences, Inc. and Nurix Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing targeted protein modulation therapies, have announced that Gilead has exercised its option to exclusively license Nurix’s investigational targeted protein degrader molecule NX‑0479. This bivalent degrader, 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 IL1 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.
“The Nurix IRAK4 degrader program represents a quality modality targeting toll-like receptor and IL1 receptor-driven inflammation,” said Flavius Martin, M.D., Executive Vice President, Research at Gilead. “We are pleased to advance our collaboration with Nurix and further expand our autoimmune pipeline with the goal of addressing the needs of people living with inflammatory diseases.”
“Gilead’s exercise of the first license option under our agreement is an important milestone and evidence of the significant progress that we have made in our strategic collaboration,” said Gwenn M. Hansen, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at Nurix. “Our highly productive DELigase platform has enabled us to advance multiple degrader programs in our collaboration with Gilead and across our wholly owned pipeline. This progress demonstrates the value of our research enterprise and its capacity to create medicines to address an array of therapeutic areas in addition to oncology.”
Under the terms of the parties’ Collaboration, Option and License Agreement, for the NX-0479 option that Gilead is exercising, Nurix will receive an option exercise payment of $20 million and potentially could receive up to an additional $425 million in clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments, as well as up to low double-digit tiered royalties on product net sales.
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