Boehringer Ingelheim and Amgen have entered a clinical phase I collaboration to evaluate a potential combination therapy for cancer.
The trial will determine additional therapeutic benefits of using a combination of SOS1::pan-KRAS inhibitor BI 1701963 and Lumakras (sotorasib) in patients living with lung and colorectal cancers.
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Lumakras (sotorasib) is a KRASG12C inhibitor for adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. The therapy was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) earlier this year.
The move comes after preclinical data suggested that the combination of a KRASG12C inhibitor with a SOS1::pan-KRAS inhibitor may increase anti-tumour activity in KRAS G12C-driven cancers.
The data indicates that SOS1::pan-KRAS inhibitors sensitise KRAS G12C-mutant tumours to covalent KRASG12C inhibitors that bind to inactive KRAS.
Boehringer Ingelheim Oncology Global Therapy Area Head corporate senior vice-president Francesco Di Marco said: “We are excited to partner with Amgen, who have pioneered KRAS G12C inhibition, and to further expand our programme to make a difference for people living with KRAS-driven cancers.
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By GlobalData“Boehringer Ingelheim follows an ‘all-in’ research approach to taking cancer on, including the first and most advanced SOS1::pan-KRAS inhibitor, which we investigate in several combinations and cancer types to realise even more opportunities to deliver potential therapeutic benefits to cancer patients.”
As agreed, Amgen will sponsor the study while both companies will jointly share the costs of clinical development for the combined therapy. They will also co-supervise the clinical development.
Boehringer Ingelheim is a research-driven biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Germany.
Last month, the company, along with Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly), reported positive data from the EMPEROR-Preserved Phase III trial.
The study assessed the safety and efficacy of Jardiance (empagliflozin) in patients with chronic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
