BeiGene has struck a $150 million deal to license a cancer candidate from fellow Chinese company CSPC Zhongqi Pharmaceutical Technology, positioning it to explore a drug combination that has attracted the interest of Amgen.
The deal gives BeiGene global rights to SYH2039, a MAT2A inhibitor CSPC is studying in patients with solid tumors. The trial, which CSPC began in September, is preferentially enrolling people with advanced, MTAP-deleted tumors. MAT2A is a synthetic lethal target in patients with the mutation, leading CSPC and its rivals Ideaya Biosciences and Servier to target the subpopulation in their clinical trials.
MAT2A inhibition is linked to PRMT5 activity. That link is a factor in BeiGene’s interest in the mechanism. The biotech is currently moving the PRMT5 inhibitor BGB-58067 into the clinic, despite rival candidates such as Amgen’s AMG 193 underwhelming to date.
Citi analyst Yigal Nochomovitz, Ph.D., brought up the potential for BeiGene to pair BGB-58067 with a MAT2A inhibitor at an investor event last week. Mark Lanasa, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer for solid tumors at BeiGene, answered “yes” when Nochomovitz asked whether the biotech would consider the combination approach.
“It all ultimately links back to an understanding of the biology and the work that's being done by the research organization,” Lanasa said. “We have looked carefully at that specific combination and it does appear interesting. But, again, we haven't started our phase 1 experience with our PRMT5, so that would be a question that we could potentially ask in due course based upon what we see with our molecule.”
BeiGene has bought in a MAT2A inhibitor before waiting for clinical data on BGB-58067 but is still behind the front-runners in the space. Ideaya took its MAT2A inhibitor into the clinic in 2021 and partnered with Amgen for a PRMT5 combination trial the following year. Amgen is now enrolling patients in a study that is evaluating a combination of MAT2A and PRMT5 inhibitors.
While Amgen has a head start, the monotherapy data on AMG 193 leave room for BeiGene to improve on the PRMT5 part of the combination. BeiGene has highlighted the ability of its PRMT5 candidate to penetrate the brain without hitting wild-type tissues as potential differentiators. If the biotech is right, the characteristics could make BGB-58067 better than rivals as a single agent and in combinations.
BeiGene has agreed to pay CSPC $150 million in upfront and time-based payments for global rights to a molecule to pair with BGB-58067. The in-licensed asset could be used to treat glioblastoma, pancreatic cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.