Earlier this year, Amgen received FDA approval for the drug to target rare mutations that were once considered “unpreparable.” Frontier Medicines is pursuing the same mutation, but the biotech company believes that its method has advantages and has Raised $88.5 million Build its case.
The Series B financing announced on Monday was led by Woodline Partners and RA Capital Management, with Deerfield Management Company participating equally.
The cancer mutation in question occurs in KRAS, which is part of the RAS gene family, which involves proteins in cell signaling. The activation of this signaling pathway promotes the proliferation and survival of cancer cells. It is estimated that the mutated KRAS protein is associated with 14% of human cancers, but it has been difficult to treat them with drugs.
May FDA approves Amgen drug Lumakras for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) makes it the first approved therapy for KRAS, more specifically, a mutation called KRAS G12C. This mutation is associated with non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and pancreatic cancer. Amgen’s small molecules bind to the target protein when the target protein is in an inactive state, locking it in that state and preventing it from activating the signaling pathways that drive cancer.
Frontier Medicines, headquartered in South San Francisco, targets KRAS G12C, with the goal of blocking proteins in active or inactive states. According to the company, this approach offers the potential to treat patients who do not respond to drugs that block KRAS G12C in an inactive state. The company added that its therapies can also provide treatment options for patients whose tumors have developed drug resistance.
However, Frontier Medicines has a long way to go before challenging Amgen. The biotech company’s KRAS G12C inhibitor program is in the discovery phase. Three other projects are being developed for undisclosed cancer targets. The company plans to use its new cash to advance its entire drug pipeline.
Cutting-edge drugs Launched in 2019 It received US$67 million in Series A financing, but there are few details about its drugs or its goals.Last December, the company announced a Cooperation with AbbVie Focus on the development of oncology and immunology drugs. The pharmaceutical giant paid Frontier Medicines US$55 million in advance.
AbbVie’s research focuses on drugs that target protein degradation. This method uses the cell’s built-in system to process old or damaged proteins as a way to get rid of disease-causing proteins. Frontier Medicines may receive more than $1 billion in funding, depending on the progress of the projects covered by the agreement. The biotech company’s internal plans, including its KRAS targeted drugs, are not part of the alliance.
Photos of Flickr users Ed Osman Through knowledge sharing license
