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Revolution Medicines Partners with Iambic Therapeutics in $25M AI-Driven Drug Discovery Collaboration for RAS-Addicted Cancers

AIDrug DiscoveryOncologyTargeted Therapy
  • Revolution Medicines and Iambic Therapeutics announced a multi-year collaboration in July 2025 to develop novel drug candidates using AI-driven discovery platforms targeting RAS-addicted cancers.
  • The partnership leverages Iambic's NeuralPLexer protein structure prediction model and PropANE neural network, trained on Revolution's proprietary data to accelerate discovery of therapies for challenging oncology targets.
  • Under the agreement, Iambic will receive up to $25 million through upfront payments, performance-based milestones, and R&D reimbursements, while both companies retain rights to exclusive targets.
  • The collaboration aims to address RAS mutations that drive approximately 30% of all cancers but remain among the most challenging drug targets for conventional discovery methods.

BioMed X and Servier Launch First European XSeed Labs to Advance AI-Driven Bispecific Antibody Design

AIDrug DiscoveryOncology
  • BioMed X and Servier have launched the first XSeed Labs in Europe at the Spartners incubator in Paris-Saclay, implementing a crowdsourcing model that embeds academic researchers within pharmaceutical R&D facilities.
  • The inaugural research project focuses on developing an AI-empowered platform for sterically guided design of bispecific antibodies, addressing key physical constraints that limit therapeutic effectiveness.
  • The initiative seeks to overcome steric hindrance, epitope accessibility, and spatial dynamics challenges that currently evade systematic design principles in bispecific antibody development.
  • Researchers worldwide are invited to submit interdisciplinary proposals combining antibody engineering, AI/machine learning, structural biology, and immuno-oncology expertise by August 31, 2025.

Adagene Partners with ConjugateBio to Develop Novel Bispecific Antibody-Drug Conjugates

Oncology
  • Adagene Inc. has entered a strategic partnership with ConjugateBio Inc. to provide a proprietary antibody for development as novel bispecific antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).
  • The collaboration leverages Adagene's SAFEbody precision masking technology and ConjugateBio's third-generation linker-payload capabilities to advance ADC development in the rapidly growing market.
  • Under the agreement terms, Adagene will receive upfront payments plus milestone and royalty payments while retaining all non-ADC rights to the partnered antibody.
  • The ADC market is projected to exceed $30 billion by 2030, with ConjugateBio focusing on first-in-class bispecific ADCs targeting solid tumors across multiple cancer indications.

IRIC and Ipsen Initiate Phase 1 Trial of RAF Inhibitor IPN01195 for Solid Tumors

Oncology
  • IRIC and IRICoR announced the start of a Phase 1 clinical trial for IPN01195, a RAF inhibitor small molecule therapy for solid tumors licensed to Ipsen in July 2025.
  • The compound was originally discovered by teams at the Université de Montréal's Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer and has shown promising activity in preclinical models of various solid tumors.
  • This milestone represents a major advancement in the strategic collaboration between IRIC and Ipsen, which began in May 2020 with a research agreement followed by a licensing deal in February 2023.
  • Under the licensing agreement, Ipsen has exclusive global rights to develop and commercialize the compound, with IRIC and IRICoR eligible for milestone payments and royalties on net sales.

STAMPEDE Trial Shows Metformin Improves Metabolic Health in Metastatic Prostate Cancer Patients Despite No Survival Benefit

Oncology
  • The STAMPEDE trial found that adding metformin to standard care for 1,874 non-diabetic men with metastatic prostate cancer did not significantly improve overall survival (HR 0.91, 95% CI: 0.80-1.03, P = 0.15).
  • Metformin demonstrated significant metabolic benefits, with patients gaining less than half the weight of controls (2kg vs 4.4kg after two years) and showing improved cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
  • The drug was well-tolerated with diarrhea as the main side effect, and showed potential anti-cancer benefits in the highest-risk patient subgroup, though this finding was not statistically powered for definitive conclusions.
  • These metabolic improvements may help mitigate the adverse effects of androgen deprivation therapy and reduce cardiovascular risks in prostate cancer patients with extended survival.

NeOnc Technologies Secures $50 Million Investment to Expand Brain Cancer Clinical Trials in MENA Region

Oncology
  • NeOnc Technologies signed a non-binding term sheet with Quazar Investment for a $50 million equity investment to establish a UAE-based clinical platform focused on the Middle East and North Africa region.
  • The partnership will create NuroCure, an Abu Dhabi operating subsidiary, to conduct clinical trials for NeOnc's brain cancer therapies NEO100 and NEO212 targeting aggressive cancers like DIPG and glioblastoma multiforme.
  • The investment will allocate 70% of funds to acquire NeOnc stock at $25 per share and 30% toward launching clinical trials and infrastructure development across the UAE and MENA region.
  • This marks NeOnc's first international expansion, leveraging Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's FDA-protocol infrastructure and the company's portfolio of over 177 patents worldwide.

Concentra Biosciences Acquires Cargo Therapeutics for $202M Following CAR-T Trial Failure

CAR-TOncology
  • Cargo Therapeutics agreed to be acquired by Concentra Biosciences for approximately $202 million upfront after halting development of its lead CAR-T therapy firicabtagene autoleucel due to poor durability results.
  • The company's Phase II trial showed firi-cel achieved a 77% response rate but only 18% durability at three months, leading to rapid patient relapse and termination of the mid-stage study in January.
  • Concentra, backed by Tang Capital Partners, continues its acquisition strategy targeting distressed biotechs, having completed five buyouts in 2024 including Elevation Oncology and Kronos Bio.
  • The deal provides Cargo shareholders with 100% of net cash above $217.5 million at closing plus 80% of proceeds from asset sales within two years, effectively winding down the company that raised $200 million in 2023.

Predictive Oncology Secures $10M Equity Agreement to Advance AI-Driven Cancer Drug Discovery

AIDrug DiscoveryOncology
  • Predictive Oncology Inc. has entered into a $10 million standby equity purchase agreement with Yorkville Advisors to fund AI-driven drug discovery and repurposing initiatives.
  • The company's PEDAL AI platform demonstrates 92% accuracy in predicting tumor response to drug compounds, enabling more informed drug-tumor combination selection.
  • The flexible funding arrangement allows Predictive Oncology to control timing and amount of stock sales without minimum commitments or operational restrictions.
  • The partnership aims to accelerate drug discovery, biomarker discovery, and business development opportunities with leading biopharmaceutical companies.

Dual-Payload ADCs Enter Clinical Testing as Innovent and Chengdu Kanghong Pioneer Next-Generation Cancer Therapeutics

Oncology
  • Innovent's IBI3020, a dual-payload ADC targeting CEACAM5, has begun first-in-human trials for solid tumors, marking a significant milestone in next-generation cancer therapeutics.
  • The dual-payload ADC field has rapidly expanded with two clinical-stage assets now in development, positioning these companies ahead of traditional single-payload approaches.
  • Chengdu Kanghong's TROP2-targeting KH815 was initially planned to be the first dual-payload ADC in clinical trials but has yet to begin patient recruitment despite regulatory approval.
  • Multiple companies are pursuing dual-payload ADC strategies based on the hypothesis that two different warheads may provide superior therapeutic outcomes compared to single-payload designs.

Crescent Biopharma Appoints Jan Pinkas as Chief Scientific Officer to Advance Oncology Pipeline

Oncology
  • Crescent Biopharma has appointed Jan Pinkas, Ph.D., as chief scientific officer, bringing over two decades of oncology drug development experience including expertise in antibody-drug conjugates.
  • The company expects to begin dosing patients in a global Phase 1 trial of CR-001, a PD-1 x VEGF bispecific antibody, in early 2026.
  • Crescent anticipates submitting an IND application for CR-002, a novel antibody-drug conjugate, in mid-2026.
  • Dr. Pinkas previously served as chief scientific officer at Pyxis Oncology and contributed to the development of ELAHERE, an approved ADC for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

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