General Proximity has announced a multi-target partnership with Daiichi Sankyo to apply its OmniTAC discovery platform to oncology programs. The collaboration was established through Daiichi Sankyo's Research Institute, located in Boston, Massachusetts, and focuses on discovering and advancing induced proximity medicines for cancer treatment.
Novel Approach to Cancer Drug Discovery
The partnership centers on developing medicines that facilitate accurate and selective alteration of proteins responsible for disease, thereby opening up therapeutic possibilities for targets that have been challenging to tackle using traditional methods. The approach employs small molecules for bringing two proteins into close proximity, subsequently inducing a specific therapeutic effect.
General Proximity's OmniTAC platform enables unbiased screening of effector proteins that can modulate disease-relevant targets, offering a distinct pathway for drug discovery. The platform is designed to enhance drug discovery processes specifically within the field of oncology by utilizing accurate control of proximity to target previously undruggable molecules.
Strategic Validation and Future Applications
"Daiichi Sankyo is a leader in oncology research and development, and we are excited to work with such a strong collaborator," stated Armand Cognetta, founder and CEO of General Proximity. "This agreement represents an important validation of our novel induced proximity approach and highlights the potential of our OmniTAC discovery platform to deliver innovative solutions for patients."
Under the collaboration, General Proximity will utilize OmniTAC to identify and characterize new effector-target pairs that could lead to first-in-class therapeutic candidates. The company plans to broaden the use of the platform by utilizing accurate control of proximity to target previously undruggable molecules across disease sectors.
Expanding Therapeutic Portfolio
Beyond oncology, General Proximity is progressing programs in longevity, cardiometabolic conditions and neurodegeneration. The company develops next-generation induced proximity therapies and is advancing several preclinical programs that are generated by the OmniTAC platform.
The partnership comes as Daiichi Sankyo continues to strengthen its oncology portfolio. In January 2025, the company finalized the acquisition of intellectual property rights for gatipotuzumab, an anti-tumor-associated mucin-1 antibody, from Glycotope for $132.5 million, demonstrating its continued commitment to expanding cancer treatment options.
