The Cancer Letter

The leading source for information on the issues that shape oncology since 1973

Drugs & Targets

Ionis gets $28 million from AstraZeneca for new cancer drug

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on email
Share on print
BYLINE
IN THIS ISSUE
DOWNLOAD PDFTABLE OF CONTENTS

Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced that it has earned $28 million from AstraZeneca following AstraZeneca’s completion of IND-supporting studies and license of IONIS-KRAS-2.5, or AZD4785. IONIS-KRAS-2.5x is a Generation 2.5 antisense drug discovered by Ionis designed to directly target KRAS, one of the most frequently mutated genes in cancer.

IONIS-KRAS-2.5x will be the first drug to enter clinical development that directly targets KRAS, regardless of mutation type. AstraZeneca will be responsible for further developing and commercializing IONIS-KRAS-2.5.

Ionis and AstraZeneca are collaborating to discover and develop antisense drugs to treat cancer under a Collaboration, License and Development Agreement entered into in December 2012. The collaboration combines AstraZeneca’s experience and expertise in developing anti-cancer agents with Ionis’ antisense technology platform to broaden Ionis’ cancer franchise.

With the completion of the IND-supporting studies for IONIS-KRAS-2.5Rx, Ionis has received more than $85 million in upfront and milestone payments from its oncology collaboration with AstraZeneca and is eligible to earn additional milestone payments as the drug progresses in development as well as royalties on sales of IONIS-KRAS-2.5x if it is commercialized.

AstraZeneca is also evaluating, as part of the oncology collaboration, another drug to treat cancer, AZD9150 (IONIS-STAT3-2.5Rx), in combination with durvalumab, AstraZeneca’s investigational anti-PD-L1 antibody, in patients with head and neck cancer and in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The two companies have also formed a collaboration to discover and develop antisense therapies for treating cardiovascular, metabolic and renal diseases.

Table of Contents

YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN

Clinical

Oncofertility coverage mandates expand to 21 states and DC as political momentum builds
Gaps persist as patients face harrowing decisions and huge copays

The nagging pain in Mia Sandino’s right knee set in in September 2018, and throughout her freshman year at the University of Washington, she tried to ignore it. “I was being a very naive and invincible-feeling 19-year-old,” Sandino told The Cancer Letter. “I didn’t put two and two together that this area of the knee that...

By Claire Marie Porter and Sara Willa Ernst
Guest Editorial

My introduction to, and lessons learned from, Rick Pazdur

Rick Pazdur, MD, the newly appointed director for the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the FDA, has been described as “greyhound thin” as a result of his dedication to cycling and lifting weights in the gym each day and, for a long time, a vegetarian diet. I first met him when he was the director of the Office of Oncology Drug Products (ODP) within CDER, in 2009.
By Mikkael A. Sekeres
Sponsored

Meeting the moment: ASCO GI Cancers Symposium delivers insights and collaboration

When it comes to fighting cancer today, collaboration is key. At a time when funding is uncertain, yet innovative breakthroughs are accelerating every day, it’s more important than ever for oncologists, scientists, academic researchers, and community physicians, to come together to share knowledge and gain insights about the forefront of cancer research.
By The American Society of Clinical Oncology
Table of Contents

Never miss an issue!

Get alerts for our award-winning coverage in your inbox.

Login

Site license subscribers:
Log in with your IP | Register a sponsored account