Boehringer Ingelheim and Circle Pharma have formed a new research collaboration and license agreement with the shared goal to develop a first-in-class cyclin inhibitor that can halt the growth of cancer cells potentially offering hope to those living with hard-to-treat cancers.
Uncontrolled cell growth is a common feature in most tumor types and is a driving force in the formation of tumors. Genetic alterations like mutations or amplifications in the genes encoding the regulatory machinery of cell division contribute to malignant growth in a significant fraction of all solid tumors. That is why Boehringer Ingelheim is targeting the proteins involved in this process, a promising strategy for new cancer treatments.
Current methods targeting cyclin-dependent kinases can be limited by low selectivity and toxicity. Circle has developed a possible solution to these challenges by creating macrocycle therapies that directly inhibit cyclins, the proteins that regulate cell division.
“We’re delighted to be joining forces with Circle’s scientists to develop an innovative cancer treatment based on their proprietary macrocycle platform molecules to achieve our goal of transforming the lives of people living with cancer,” said Clive R. Wood, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Global Head of Discovery Research at Boehringer Ingelheim. “This new collaboration complements our oncology research portfolio, and further reinforces our commitment to tackling intractable targets.”
David Earp, Ph.D., JD, chief executive officer, Circle Pharma, said: “With our lead program, CID-078, a Cyclin A/B RxL inhibitor, we have demonstrated the capability of our MXMOTM platform to deliver oral macrocycles against a target that was previously considered to be undruggable. We’re excited to partner with Boehringer Ingelheim to leverage the platform against another challenging cyclin target that offers the potential to address high unmet need cancer indications.”
As part of the agreement, Circle Pharma will receive an upfront payment and potential development, regulatory, and sales milestone payments of up to $607 million.
