The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRTX), a clinical stage targeted oncology company, today announced a strategic research and development collaboration to expand the evaluation of Mirati's two investigational small molecule, potent and selective KRAS inhibitors – adagrasib (MRTX849), a G12C inhibitor in clinical development, and MRTX1133, a G12D inhibitor in preclinical development, as monotherapy and in combination with other agents – which target two of the most frequent KRAS mutations in cancer.
The collaboration will combine MD Anderson's clinical trial infrastructure and expertise with Mirati's differentiated targeted oncology pipeline. Under the terms of the agreement, collaborative preclinical and clinical studies will be conducted in several solid tumors, including non-small cell lung, pancreatic, colorectal, and gynecological cancers over the five-year period of the collaboration.
"This agreement embodies our commitment to further advancing our innovative KRAS programs and complementing our development efforts through strategic collaborations with those who share our vision for breakthrough science," said Joseph Leveque, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Mirati Therapeutics. "We look forward to working with MD Anderson to strengthen our scientific and clinical understanding of KRAS compounds in multiple tumor types with the goal of speeding delivery of new cancer treatments to patients."
The collaborative studies will be overseen by a joint steering committee. Mirati will provide funding, study materials and other ongoing support throughout the term of the collaboration.
"Effective targeted therapies against mutant KRAS could address a major unmet need for many patients," said Christopher Flowers, M.D., ad interim division head of Cancer Medicine at MD Anderson. "Our collaboration with Mirati represents an important opportunity to work toward advancing new treatment options for patients using novel KRAS inhibitors that target two of the most frequent KRAS mutations in common cancers."
About MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world's most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. The institution's sole mission is to end cancer for patients and their families around the world. MD Anderson is one of only 51 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). MD Anderson is ranked No.1 for cancer care in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Hospitals" survey. It has ranked as one of the nation's top two hospitals for cancer care since the survey began in 1990 and has ranked first 16 times in the last 19 years. MD Anderson receives a cancer center support grant from the NCI of the National Institutes of Health (P30 CA016672).
About Mirati Therapeutics
Mirati Therapeutics is a late-stage biotechnology company whose mission is to discover, design and deliver breakthrough therapies to transform the lives of cancer patients and their loved ones. The company is relentlessly focused on bringing forward therapies that address areas of high unmet need, including lung cancer, and advancing a pipeline of novel therapeutics targeting the genetic and immunological drivers of cancer. Mirati is using its scientific expertise to develop novel solutions in two registration-enabling programs: adagrasib (MRTX849), an investigational small molecule, potent and selective KRAS G12C inhibitor, as monotherapy and in combination with other agents, and sitravatinib, an investigational spectrum-selective inhibitor of receptor tyrosine kinases in combination with checkpoint inhibitor therapies. Mirati is also advancing its differentiated preclinical portfolio, including MRTX1133, an investigational KRAS G12D inhibitor, and other oncology discovery programs. Unified for patients, Mirati's vision is to unlock the science behind the promise of a life beyond cancer.
Source: CISION