Aethon Therapeutics Announces Collaboration with Revolution Medicines to Discover and Develop Novel Aethon Antibody Programs
Aethon will apply its proprietary HapImmune™ platform to create novel antibodies that home in on cancer neoantigens generated by treatment with RAS inhibitors
Collaboration focuses on key Revolution Medicines pipeline programs
NEW YORK, April 4, 2024 /PR Newswire/ -- Aethon Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company discovering and developing novel antibody therapeutics designed to attack cancer cells in tandem with targeted covalent inhibitor cancer therapies, today announced that it has entered into a collaboration agreement with Revolution Medicines, Inc., a clinical-stage oncology company developing targeted therapies for patients with RAS-addicted cancers. Under the terms of the agreement, Aethon will use its HapImmune™ platform to discover novel bispecific antibodies to mount an immune attack directed towards cancer cells hit by Revolution Medicines’ RAS(ON) inhibitors, with the goal of fueling tumor clearance and helping to establish immune memory.
The terms of the agreement provide for a multi-year collaboration under which Aethon is responsible for conducting preclinical work, with full reimbursement by Revolution Medicines. Revolution Medicines has an option to conduct any clinical development of products that may arise from the collaboration. The arrangement provides for both upfront and potential downstream payments covering future development and commercialization activities should Revolution Medicines exercise its option.
“Aethon has proprietary expertise in creating and developing novel, cancer-specific drug-target peptide conjugates that seek out and bind to neoantigens created by different classes of covalent inhibitor anti-cancer therapies. This collaboration with Revolution Medicines represents an important validation of Aethon’s HapImmune platform and an exciting opportunity to potentially enhance RAS targeting by combining the power of highly selective immune cell attack with Revolution Medicines’ novel RAS(ON) inhibitors,” said Raj Chopra, M.D., Ph.D., CEO of Aethon Therapeutics and Head of Oncology and Venture Partner at Apple Tree Partners.
“We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with Aethon and exploit their novel and innovative platform,” said Steve Kelsey, M.D., President, Research and Development at Revolution Medicines. “Through our own publications, and those of other leaders in the field, we have become increasingly aware of the interaction between oncogenic RAS activation and anti-tumor immunity. This collaboration represents an important component of our long-term vision to optimize treatments for patients with RAS-driven cancers.”
Beyond the programs being advanced in partnership with Revolution Medicines, Aethon has additional programs targeting validated covalent small molecules that inhibit RAS, EGFR, and BTK. “Aethon is discovering its own proprietary covalent inhibitors that target known oncogenes and tumor suppressors to create cancer-specific neoantigens as targets for engaging the immune system. This includes CD3+T cells and T cell subsets. Our significant progress on this front is very encouraging,” Dr. Chopra said.
About Aethon Therapeutics
Aethon Therapeutics creates neoantigens by design, to transform cancer treatments into cures. Aethon’s novel anti-drug-peptide conjugate/MHC antibodies are designed to be used in combination with targeted covalent inhibitors of RAS, EGFR, and other oncogenic driver mutations (including intracellular targets) to mount immune attacks to selectively kill residual cancer cells, including drug-resistant “persister” cells. Co-founded by venture capital firm Apple Tree Partners with New York University cancer researchers Shohei Koide, Ph.D. and Benjamin G. Neel, M.D., Ph.D., Aethon unites immunotherapy and targeted therapy to expand the power and promise of both approaches for people living with cancer. For more information, visit aethontx.com.
Media contact:
Sally Jacob / sjacob@appletreepartners.com