Iksuda Therapeutics, Femtogenix Sign License Agreement Targeting Difficult-to-Treat Solid Tumors

Biotechnology company, Iksuda Therapeutics, and antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) company, Femtogenix (FGX), have signed a license agreement aimed at progressing Iksuda’s lead ADC to clinic, with the aim of targeting difficult-to-treat solid tumors.

As per the terms of the agreement, Iksuda will employ FGX’s sequence-selective DNA-interactive payload molecules in combination with its PErmaLink conjugation platform to progress its lead ADC. This step is a further development for Iksuda’s plans to build-out its ADC technology suite and drug pipeline, from which it hopes to advance multiple candidates to clinical studies by 2020.

In a Mar. 5, 2019 press release, Dave Simpson, chief executive officer, Iksuda, said, “This agreement is an exciting progression of our ADC pipeline as it maximizes potential for the greatest anti-cancer impact and enhanced therapeutic index, further underpinning our ambition to advance multiple ADCs to the clinic and treat the broadest patient population possible.”

“We are pleased to be working with Iksuda to further validate the clinical potential of our payloads, which should provide improved efficacy and safety in comparison to those currently in the clinic,” added Dr Chris Keightley, chief executive officer, Femtogenix. “We have developed a wide range of easily conjugated payloads with novel mechanisms of action and potency levels, and these are available for licensing. In particular, we are developing payloads that can recognize and bind to transcription factor recognition site profiles within the genome. Such profiles are characteristic of specific tumour types, and this allows FGX to develop payloads with reduced toxicity and enhanced target specificity.”

Source: Iksuda Therapeutics