Bayer subsidiary Vividion Therapeutics has secured exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialise VVD-214, the Werner helicase (WRN) covalent inhibitor, enhancing its oncology pipeline.
Roche and Vividion discovered and developed VVD-214 through a global partnership and licence agreement.
In 2020, the companies agreed to discover and develop small molecules for a range of therapeutic targets.
The acquisition of VVD-214 rights by Vividion complements its portfolio of investigational therapeutics aimed at treating cancers and immune disorders.
Preliminary data from a Phase I trial indicated that the therapy is well-tolerated and exhibits signs of activity.
The trial is assessing VVD-214 as a single agent and in conjunction with pembrolizumab for those with various solid tumours showing microsatellite instability (MSI), such as endometrial, colorectal, gastric and ovarian cancers.
WRN is a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair enzyme and a synthetic lethal target for cancers with MSI.
VVD-214's mechanism aims to induce lethal DNA damage in these cancers while sparing healthy cells.
This approach could offer a new treatment avenue for patients with limited options, particularly those who relapse or become refractory to immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Vividion Therapeutics CEO Aleksandra Rizo stated: “Bringing VVD-214, the only clinical-stage covalent inhibitor of WRN in development worldwide, into our portfolio marks an incredibly exciting moment for Vividion.
“We are eager to progress development of this compound, building on the encouraging clinical data we’ve seen to date, as part of our mission to transform treatment for patients with cancer and other serious diseases.”
Vividion has Phase I trials for other potential oral cancer therapies, including a Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1) activator, a RAS-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase alpha (PI3Kα) inhibitor and a signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) inhibitor.
The company is progressing the discovery of several drug programmes towards the clinic and has a pipeline of early discovery opportunities in immunology and oncology, utilising its chemoproteomics platform.
