HOUSTON and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July
28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer
Center and Blueprint Medicines Corporation (NASDAQ: BPMC)
today announced a three-year strategic research collaboration
focused on accelerating development of BLU-222, an investigational
precision therapy designed to target cyclin-dependent kinase 2
(CDK2).
The collaboration brings together MD Anderson translational
research scientists, the drug development capabilities of MD
Anderson's Therapeutics Discovery division and Blueprint
Medicines' precision therapy pipeline and expertise. The teams seek
to characterize the range of cancer types susceptible to treatment
with a selective CDK2 inhibitor, advance BLU-222 mono- and
combination-therapy strategies with the potential to maximize
patient benefit, and identify novel biomarkers that may better
predict treatment response and optimize patient selection.
"This collaboration highlights our commitment to rapidly advance
innovative science and builds on our prior efforts – also supported
by MD Anderson investigators – that led to two FDA-approved and
breakthrough therapy-designated precision therapies for patients
with cancer," said Fouad Namouni, M.D., President of Research and
Development at Blueprint Medicines. "By leveraging the power of MD
Anderson's expertise in translational research, we aim to reveal
the broad potential of BLU-222 and optimize our clinical
development strategy to bring treatment innovation to as many
patients as possible."
Under the preclinical collaboration agreement, Blueprint
Medicines expects to collaborate primarily with MD Anderson's
Translational Research to Advance Therapeutics and Innovation in
Oncology (TRACTION) platform, which leads cutting-edge
translational biology research to rapidly position new therapies
for clinical trials. TRACTION is a core component of MD Anderson's
Therapeutics Discovery division, an integrated team of clinicians,
researchers and drug development experts working to advance
impactful therapies that address patient needs.
MD Anderson and Blueprint Medicines will jointly design
translational studies, and Blueprint Medicines will provide
funding, research compounds and additional support. As part of the
agreement, MD Anderson is eligible to receive certain payments
based on the future development of BLU-222.
"As a critical regulator of the cell cycle, CDK2 is an exciting
therapeutic target in oncology with broad potential across multiple
patient populations and treatment settings," said Timothy Heffernan, Ph.D., executive director of
TRACTION and head of oncology research in MD Anderson's
Therapeutics Discovery division. "Through our collaboration with
Blueprint Medicines, we aim to improve the scientific understanding
of the role of CDK2 inhibition in cancer treatment and advance a
new therapeutic option for patients with difficult-to-treat tumors,
which further demonstrates our commitment to work at the forefront
of cancer research."
Cyclin-dependent kinases and their cyclin partners regulate the
cell cycle, which is the process of cell growth and division. In
certain cancers, aberrant cyclin E (CCNE) hyperactivates CDK2,
resulting in cell cycle dysregulation and tumor proliferation.
Aberrant CCNE has been observed as a primary driver of disease in
subsets of patients across a wide range of tumor types and has been
shown to promote resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors and other
therapies. BLU-222 is a potential best-in-class CDK2 inhibitor that
has shown robust anti-tumor activity in preclinical models of
CCNE-aberrant ovarian, breast and gastric cancer. Blueprint
Medicines plans to initiate a first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial
of BLU-222 in patients with CCNE-aberrant cancers in the first half
of 2022.
Disclosures
MD Anderson's relationship with Blueprint Medicines creates a
financial conflict of interest, and therefore MD Anderson is
implementing an Institutional Conflict of Interest Management and
Monitoring Plan for this research.
About MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson
Cancer Center in Houston ranks as
one of the world's most respected centers focused on cancer patient
care, research, education and prevention. The institution's sole
mission is to end cancer for patients and their families around the
world. MD Anderson is one of only 51 comprehensive cancer centers
designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). MD Anderson is
No.1 for cancer in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Hospitals"
rankings. It has been named one of the nation's top two hospitals
for cancer since the rankings began in 1990 and has ranked first 16
times in the last 19 years. MD Anderson receives a cancer center
support grant from the NCI of the National Institutes of Health
(P30 CA016672).
About Blueprint Medicines
Blueprint Medicines is a global precision therapy company that
invents life-changing medicines for people with cancer and
hematologic disorders. Applying an approach that is both precise
and agile, we create therapies that selectively target genetic
drivers, with the goal of staying one step ahead across stages of
disease. Since 2011, we have leveraged our research platform,
including expertise in molecular targeting and world-class drug
design capabilities, to rapidly and reproducibly translate science
into a broad pipeline of precision therapies. Today, we are
delivering our approved medicines to patients in the United States and Europe, and we are globally advancing multiple
programs for genomically defined cancers, systemic mastocytosis,
and cancer immunotherapy. For more information,
visit www.BlueprintMedicines.com and follow us
on Twitter (@BlueprintMeds) and LinkedIn.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995, as amended, including, without limitation, statements
regarding the research collaboration between Blueprint Medicines
and The University of Texas MD Anderson
Cancer Center; plans and timelines for the research and development
of BLU-222; the potential benefits of BLU-222 in treating patients;
and Blueprint Medicines' strategy, goals and anticipated
milestones, business plans and focus. The words "may," "will,"
"could," "would," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate,"
"intend," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "project," "potential,"
"continue," "target" and similar expressions are intended to
identify forward-looking statements, although not all
forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any
forward-looking statements in this press release are based on
management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a
number of risks, uncertainties and important factors that may cause
actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed
or implied by any forward-looking statements contained in this
press release, including, without limitation, risks and
uncertainties related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to
Blueprint Medicines' business, operations, strategy, goals and
anticipated milestones, including Blueprint Medicines' ongoing and
planned research and discovery activities, ability to conduct
ongoing and planned clinical trials, clinical supply of current or
future drug candidates, commercial supply of current or future
approved products, and launching, marketing and selling current or
future approved products; Blueprint Medicines' ability and plans in
continuing to establish and maintain a commercial infrastructure,
and successfully launching, marketing and selling current or future
approved products; Blueprint Medicines' ability to successfully
expand the approved indications for
AYVAKITTM /AYVAKYT® (avapritinib) and GAVRETO®
(pralsetinib) or obtain marketing approval for AYVAKIT/AYVAKYT and
GAVRETO in additional geographies in the future; the delay of any
current or planned clinical trials or the development of Blueprint
Medicines' current or future drug candidates; Blueprint Medicines'
advancement of multiple early-stage efforts; Blueprint Medicines'
ability to successfully demonstrate the safety and efficacy of its
drug candidates and gain approval of its drug candidates on a
timely basis, if at all; the preclinical and clinical results for
Blueprint Medicines' drug candidates, which may not support further
development of such drug candidates; actions of regulatory
agencies, which may affect the initiation, timing and progress of
clinical trials; Blueprint Medicines' ability to obtain, maintain
and enforce patent and other intellectual property protection for
AYVAKIT/AYVAKYT, GAVRETO or any drug candidates it is developing;
Blueprint Medicines' ability to develop and commercialize companion
diagnostic tests for AYVAKIT/AYVAKYT, GAVRETO or any of its current
and future drug candidates; and the success of Blueprint Medicines'
current and future collaborations, partnerships or licensing
arrangements. These and other risks and uncertainties are described
in greater detail in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in
Blueprint Medicines' filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC), including Blueprint Medicines' most recent Annual
Report on Form 10-K, as supplemented by its most recent Quarterly
Report on Form 10-Q and any other filings that Blueprint Medicines
has made or may make with the SEC in the future. Any
forward-looking statements contained in this press release
represent Blueprint Medicines' views only as of the date hereof and
should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any
subsequent date. Except as required by law, Blueprint Medicines
explicitly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking
statements.
Trademarks
Blueprint Medicines, AYVAKIT, AYVAKYT, GAVRETO and associated
logos are trademarks of Blueprint Medicines Corporation.
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SOURCE Blueprint Medicines Corporation