eFFECTOR Enters Into Agreement with Pfizer Inc. to Develop Novel First-in-Class Inhibitors of eIF4E to Treat Multiple Cancer ...
January 09 2020 - 8:00AM
eFFECTOR Therapeutics, Inc., a leader in the development of
selective translation regulators (STRs) for the treatment of
cancer, and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) today announced an exclusive
worldwide license and collaboration agreement to develop
small-molecule inhibitors of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E
(eIF4E), a key oncogenic driver located downstream from both the
RAS and PI3K signaling pathways. eIF4E is an effector protein that
is activated in a variety of human cancers and is linked to poor
prognosis and resistance to certain therapies.
Under terms of the agreement, eFFECTOR will
receive a $15 million payment upfront, and will be eligible for
additional potential $492M in R&D funding, development and
sales milestone payments. eFFECTOR will receive royalties on sales
of any products that may result from this collaboration if the
program reaches commercialization and has an option to enter into a
co-promotion and profit and loss share arrangement in the United
States.
“This collaboration underscores the importance
of the emerging field of translation regulation as an exciting new
therapeutic approach,” said Steve Worland, Ph.D., president and
chief executive officer of eFFECTOR. “It will leverage our
collective development capabilities and Pfizer’s global commercial
resources to build momentum around eIF4E inhibitor development and
maximize the potential impact for cancer patients. Importantly, we
believe that this agreement validates eFFECTOR’s pursuit of eIF4E,
which has been a protein of interest for drug development for many
years but has been very challenging to develop small molecules to
target due to the nature of its binding site.”
“We look forward to working with eFFECTOR with
the goal of bringing a promising new therapy to patients with
various treatment-refractory cancers,” said Jeff Settleman, Ph.D.,
senior vice president and chief scientific officer, oncology,
worldwide research, development & medical, Pfizer.
The Role of eIF4E in
CancereIF4E (eukaryotic initiation
factor 4E) is a highly oncogenic and historically intractable
target that is activated in a variety of human cancers and is
linked to poor prognosis and resistance to certain therapies. eIF4E
is an effector protein integrating signals from multiple important
oncogenes and tumor suppressor proteins in the PI3K and RAS
oncogenic pathways (including PI3K, AKT, mTOR, PTEN and BRAF), and
selectively regulates the translation of a set of target mRNA
distinct from those regulated by MNK1/2 and eIF4A. This may expand
the potential patient population that may benefit from translation
regulation therapy.
About eFFECTOR Therapeutics
eFFECTOR Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company
at the forefront of an emerging class of therapeutics known as
selective translation regulators or STRs. By acting on key
biological mechanisms responsible for tumor growth and immune
suppression, STRs represent a promising small molecule approach for
treating cancer. eFFECTOR’s most advanced program, tomivosertib
(eFT508), is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials for the treatment
of several types of cancer. eFFECTOR has entered into clinical
collaboration agreements with a strategic alliance between Pfizer
and Merck KGaA to study tomivosertib in combination with avelumab
and separately with Merck & Co to evaluate tomivosertib in
combination with KEYTRUDA. Additionally, the company has an
emerging pipeline of promising STR programs targeting well-known
oncogenes and intractable targets. For more information visit
www.effector.com.
Contacts:
Investors:Amy ConradJuniper
Point 858-366-3243amy@juniper-point.com
Media:Carolyn HawleyCanale
Communications619-849-5382carolyn@canalecomm.com
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