Calithera Biosciences Inc. (NASDAQ: CALA) has entered an agreement with Takeda Pharmaceuticals Company Limited to buy two clinical-stage compounds that have shown single-agent activity with a massive prospect in biomarker defined cancer populations.
Compounds to strengthen Calithera’s targeted therapies pipeline
The two compounds Mivavotinib (CB-659, originally TAK-659) and Sapanisertib (CB-228, originally TAK-228), further enhance Calithera’s clinical-stage pipeline of targeted therapies.
Susan Molineux, CEO and president of Calithera, said, “We believe that these clinical-stage compounds are an excellent complement to our internally-developed pipeline programs, and fit well with our current strategic focus on biomarker-driven therapeutic approaches.”
She added, “Specifically, sapanisertib has the potential to be the first targeted treatment for patients with NRF2-mutated squamous non-small cell lung cancer. We have learned a great deal about the unmet medical need of patients with KEAP1/NRF2 mutations, as well as how to identify and recruit these patients, during the conduct of our KEAPSAKE trial evaluating telaglenastat. Additionally, mivavotinib has the potential to be a best-in-class SYK inhibitor in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, as well as a first-to-market approach for patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma whose tumors harbor MyD88 and/or CD79 mutations.”
Calithera to commence studies in squamous NSCLC and DLBCL
The company plans to commence a clinical study in squamous NSCLC with sapanisertib and another study in DLBCL with mivavotinib, in biomarker-specific populations. They will generate data over the next one and half years that will define the clinical development and possible regulatory approval pathway for these compounds.
Takeda’s Head of Oncology Cell Therapy and Therapeutic Area division Christopher Arendt said, “Collaboration is an important aspect of our R&D strategy and at the center of our efforts to deliver new treatment options to patients. We are confident that Calithera, with their highly capable and experienced team, is the ideal partner to resume the development of sapanisertib and mivavotinib, and to maximize their potential to address underserved patient populations.”
