Jazz Pharmaceuticals Expands Oncology Pipeline with Redx’s KRAS Inhibitor Program

- Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc has signed a definitive agreement to acquire worldwide rights to Redx Pharma's KRAS (Kirsten rat sarcoma virus) inhibitor program.
- Jazz will make an upfront payment of $10 million to Redx and Redx is entitled to receive up to $870 million in development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments in addition to tiered, mid-single-digit percentage royalties on net sales.
- The agreement includes G12D selective and pan-KRAS molecules, which target a well-validated oncology target with significant unmet medical need.
- Redx and Jazz will collaborate on IND-enabling activities, and Jazz will assume responsibility for all clinical development, regulatory, and commercialization of the KRAS inhibitor candidates.
- KRAS inhibitors are seen as potential treatments for various cancers, such as non-small cell lung cancer and colorectal cancer, where KRAS mutations are prevalent.
- Jazz looks to strengthen its early-stage oncology pipeline with this acquisition, as the field has becoming increasingly competitive with existing KRAS inhibitors from companies like Amgen and Bristol Myers Squibb/Mirati Therapeutics.
- Jazz's oncology drugs, including Defitelio, Vyxeos, Rylaze, and Zepzelca, contributed to more than a quarter of the company's total product revenues in the first nine months of 2023.
- The successful accomplishment of milestones, such as receiving an IND clearance, will activate the subsequent payment and royalties for Redx Pharma.

This agreement represents a renewed collaboration between Jazz and Redx, with a shared goal to address the challenges in treating cancer patients with KRAS mutations.