AstraZeneca has added to its oncology pipeline by licensing a small-molecule KRAS inhibitor from Chinese biotech Usynova for $24 million upfront.

阿斯利康公司已经从中国生物技术公司Usynova获得了2400万美元的小分子KRAS抑制剂许可，从而增加了其肿瘤学管道。

The compound – called UA022 – targets the KRASG12D mutation and is currently still in preclinical development. AZ has taken an exclusive worldwide license to the drug in a deal that also includes up to $395 million in development and commercial milestone payments as well as royalties on future sales.

该化合物称为UA022，靶向KRASG12D突变，目前仍处于临床前开发阶段。AZ在一项协议中获得了该药物的独家全球许可，其中还包括高达3.95亿美元的开发和商业里程碑付款以及未来销售的版税。

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If it makes it through to market, UA022 would follow in the footsteps of pioneering KRAS inhibitors Amgen’s Lumakras (sotorasib) and Mirati’s Krazati (adagrasib), which have been approved as second-line therapies for KRAS-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) but target KRAS G12C, a different mutation..

如果进入市场，UA022将跟随开拓性的KRAS抑制剂Amgen的Lumakras（sotorasib）和Mirati的Krazati（adagrasib）的脚步，这些抑制剂已被批准作为KRAS突变的非小细胞肺癌的二线治疗药物（NSCLC），但针对KRAS G12C，一种不同的突变。。

KRAS G12C is the most common form of KRAS mutation in lung cancer, while G12D is found more commonly in other diseases like pancreatic and colorectal cancers.

KRAS G12C是肺癌中最常见的KRAS突变形式，而G12D更常见于其他疾病，如胰腺癌和结肠直肠癌。

Dr Hu Tao, co-founder and chief executive of Usynova, which is also known as Yousen Jianheng Biopharmaceutical, said in a statement that KRAS G12D is the most common KRAS mutation in cancer, accounting for around 26% of all KRAS mutations overall, but there are currently no approved drugs specifically targeting it..

Usynova的联合创始人兼首席执行官胡涛博士，也被称为尤森健恒生物制药，在一份声明中说，KRAS G12D是癌症中最常见的KRAS突变，约占所有KRAS突变的26%，但目前还没有专门针对它的批准药物。。

According to Usynova, UA022 has shown potent anticancer activity in lab testing, with good oral bioavailability and a “favourable” safety profile.

根据Usynova的说法，UA022在实验室测试中显示出强大的抗癌活性，具有良好的口服生物利用度和“有利”的安全性。

With the licensing deal, AZ joins a select group of companies going after the target that includes Mirati – soon to become part of Bristol-Myers Squibb if a $5.8 billion takeover deal goes through – as well as Revolution Medicines, Quanta Therapeutics and Roche/Chugai.

通过许可协议，AZ加入了一组精选的公司，这些公司紧随包括Mirati在内的目标-如果经过58亿美元的收购协议，AZ很快将成为Bristol-Myers Squibb的一部分-以及Revolution Medicines，Quanta Therapeutics和Roche/Chugai。

Mirati’s MRTX1133 is in phase 1/1b testing, with results as a monotherapy due in the first half of next year and studies also underway of the drug in combination with cancer immunotherapies. Revolution’s RMC-9805 recently started a phase 1/1b study with results expected in 2025.

Mirati的MRTX1133正在进行1/1b期测试，结果将于明年下半年作为单一疗法，该药物与癌症免疫疗法相结合的研究也在进行中。革命的RMC-9805最近开始了1/1b阶段的研究，预计2025年的结果。

Roche/Chugai’s pan-RAS inhibitor LUNA18 has already completed a dose-ranging study while Quanta’s multi-KRAS inhibitor QTX3034 is in preclinical development.

Roche/Chugai的pan-RAS抑制剂LUNA18已经完成了剂量范围研究，而Quanta的多KRAS抑制剂QTX3034正处于临床前开发阶段。

Stephen Fawell, AZ’s head of oncology development, described the licensing deal as an “exciting opportunity” that builds on AZ’s “heritage of targeting tumour drivers and mutations.” He added that the deal “could accelerate the development of potential new treatments for patients whose tumours carry the KRAS G12D mutation, an area of unmet medical need.”.

AZ肿瘤学发展负责人Stephen Fawell将许可协议描述为建立在AZ“针对肿瘤驱动因素和突变的遗产”基础上的“令人兴奋的机会”。他补充说，该协议“可以加速为肿瘤携带KRAS G12D突变的患者开发潜在的新疗法，这是一个未满足医疗需求的领域”。