Ajax Therapeutics and Schrödinger Expand JAK Inhibitor Partnership with New Target
Key Insights
Ajax Therapeutics (search) and Schrödinger (search) have expanded their exclusive research collaboration to include a new Janus kinase (search) (JAK) target, building on their successful 2019 partnership focused on developing next-generation JAK inhibitors.
The collaboration has already produced AJ1-11095, a potential first-in-class Type II JAK2 (search) inhibitor currently in Phase 1 clinical trials for myelofibrosis (search) treatment.
Under the amended agreement, Schrödinger (search) is eligible to receive discovery and development milestones, sales milestones, and single-digit royalties on net sales from the new JAK target program.
Ajax Therapeutics (search) and Schrödinger (search) announced an expansion of their exclusive research collaboration to include a new Janus kinase (search) (JAK) target, marking a significant milestone in their partnership that began in 2019. The collaboration leverages Schrödinger's advanced computational platform combined with Ajax's structural biology insights to develop novel JAK inhibitors with enhanced selectivity and potency.
Successful Track Record Drives Expansion
The partnership has already demonstrated success with AJ1-11095, a potential first-in-class Type II JAK2 (search) inhibitor currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical study for myelofibrosis (search) treatment. This compound was designed using structure-based drug design and computational methods to selectively bind the Type II conformation of the JAK2 kinase, potentially providing greater efficacy with disease modification compared to currently approved JAK2 inhibitors like ruxolitinib, which bind the Type I conformation.
"We're excited to expand our longstanding research collaboration with Schrödinger (search)," stated Martin Vogelbaum, chief executive officer of Ajax Therapeutics (search). "Given our teams' history of success in creating more selective and potent JAK2 (search) inhibitors, we expect to take a similar approach to this new JAK target with the goal of generating a new class of inhibitors that extend beyond oncology indications to include inflammatory and autoimmune disorders."
Broader Therapeutic Applications
The expanded collaboration targets abnormal JAK signaling, which serves as a key driver in myeloproliferative neoplasms (search), including myelofibrosis (search), as well as in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases (search). The partnership aims to develop next-generation inhibitors with the potential for greater selectivity and deeper, more durable responses compared to existing JAK inhibitors.
Preclinical studies of AJ1-11095 have shown promising results, demonstrating the ability to reverse marrow fibrosis, reduce mutant allele burden, and maintain efficacy against MPN cells that become resistant to chronic Type I JAK2 (search) inhibition. The compound is currently being studied in patients with myelofibrosis (search) who have failed treatment with a Type I JAK2 inhibitor.
Financial Terms and Strategic Value
Under the amended agreement, Ajax and Schrödinger (search) will collaborate on discovery of the development candidate, with Ajax responsible for clinical development and commercialization. Schrödinger is eligible to receive discovery and development milestones similar to the terms of the original agreement, along with sales milestones and single-digit royalties on net sales of any products emerging from the additional target.
"Our collaboration with Ajax and the progress of AJ1-11095 demonstrates the power of combining our world-leading computational platform at scale with Ajax's novel structural biology insights," stated Ramy Farid, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Schrödinger (search). "We are really pleased with the progress our teams have made over the course of this partnership, and we look forward to working with the Ajax team on this new JAK family target."
Strong Financial Foundation
The partnership is built on a solid financial foundation, with Ajax completing an oversubscribed $95 million Series C financing in 2024, in which Schrödinger (search) participated as a continuing investor. Schrödinger was a co-founder of Ajax and maintains an equity stake in the company, demonstrating the strategic importance of this collaboration.
The expanded partnership highlights Schrödinger (search)'s computational drug discovery platform capabilities and represents continued investment in drug development partnerships. With Schrödinger's software platform built on more than 30 years of R&D investment and licensed by biotechnology, pharmaceutical and industrial companies worldwide, the collaboration positions both companies to advance innovative therapies for patients with significant unmet medical needs.