Pfizer and Triana Biomedicines have entered into a strategic collaboration and licensing agreement worth over $1.5bn to discover molecular glue degraders (MGDs) for cancer and other severe diseases.

MGDs are a new class of drugs that can be directed at targets that have previously been considered ‘undruggable’ by other approaches.

The partnership will leverage Triana’s molecular glue and E3-ligase pairing platform to identify new MGDs against multiple targets across various disease areas, including oncology.

Triana will lead the discovery and identification of potential development candidates, while Pfizer will have the option for an exclusive licence to pursue further preclinical and clinical development.

In exchange, Triana will receive an upfront payment of $49m from Pfizer and will be eligible for potential future milestone payments exceeding $1.5bn, as well as tiered royalties.

Drugmakers have been increasingly focused on MGDs, which eliminate disease-causing proteins by promoting their interaction with the cell’s ubiquitin-proteasome system.

Jeff Settleman, chief scientific officer of Pfizer Oncology, said: “We look forward to working [with Triana] to advance scientific innovation for patients living with cancer.”

Merck & Co – known as MSD outside the US and Canada – has acquired Yale University oncology spin-out Modifi Biosciences in a deal worth $1.3bn.

The agreement gives Merck access to preclinical compounds designed to exploit DNA repair defects in difficult-to-treat cancers, including glioblastomas.

Modifi has developed a new class of small molecules that target cancer cells lacking expression of a key DNA repair protein called MGMT.

Approximately half of glioblastomas and up to 80% of gliomas lack MGMT, which Modifi says makes these cancers a “natural first target” for its approach. Emerging research has also indicated that this MGMT deficiency is seen in many other tumour types.

Merck has acquired all outstanding shares of Modifi for $30m upfront, with Modifi shareholders eligible to receive potential milestone payments totalling up to $1.3bn.

David Weinstock, vice president, discovery oncology, Merck Research Laboratories, explained: “DNA repair defects are a frequent hallmark of tumour cells and a major cause of resistance to cancer therapy. The… Modifi Biosciences team has developed an innovative approach that we believe has potential for treating some of the most refractory cancer types.”

AstraZeneca’s (AZ) Voydeya (danicopan) has been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as an add-on therapy for adults with the rare blood disorder paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH).

The oral factor D inhibitor has been recommended for use alongside AZ’s complement component 5 (C5) inhibitors, Ultomiris (ravulizumab) or Soliris (eculizumab) to treat patients who have residual haemolytic anaemia.

The health technology assessment agency also specified that those eligible for the drug will have clinically significant extravascular haemolysis (EVH) while on treatment with a C5 inhibitor and that the company must provide the drug according to the commercial arrangement.

NICE’s decision was supported by positive results from the phase 3 ALPHA trial, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of Voydeya as an add-on to Ultomiris or Soliris in patients with PNH who experienced clinically significant EVH.

Results showed that Voydeya met the primary endpoint of change in haemoglobin from baseline to week 12 as well as all key secondary endpoints, including transfusion avoidance and change in FACIT-Fatigue score, which measures patients’ level of fatigue during their usual daily activities.

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has announced that a subcutaneous (SC) formulation of Darzalex (daratumumab) has been approved by the European Commission (EC) as part of a combination treatment for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM).

The drug has been authorised for use in combination with bortezomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone (VRd) to treat NDMM patients who are eligible for an autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT).

More than 35,000 people were diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer that affects a type of white blood cell called plasma cells, in the EU in 2022.

The EC’s decision on the Darzalex regimen was supported by positive results from the late-stage PERSEUS study, which randomised more than 700 ASCT-eligible NDMM patients to receive either Darzalex SC plus VRd as an induction and consolidation therapy, followed by Darzalex SC and lenalidomide maintenance therapy, or VRd during induction and consolidation, followed by lenalidomide maintenance.

The Darzalex-based regimen was shown to reduce the risk of disease progression or death by 58% compared to VRd after a median follow-up of 47.5 months, and resulted in deeper responses.