Chinese and US biotech companies to jointly develop cancer drug candidate
China's CStone Pharmaceuticals and US-based Kimia Therapeutics have entered into a clinical development partnership to advance a drug candidate targeting a DNA damage response pathway that is important for the survival of solid tumors. CStone will lead the program's Phase 1 trial in China and Australia.
- CStone and Kimia have entered into a clinical development partnership.
- The drug candidate targets a DNA damage response pathway important to the survival of solid tumors.
- CStone will lead the Phase 1 trial in China and Australia.
- Kimia's ATLAS platform uses machine learning and high-throughput compound screening.
- CStone may be eligible for milestone payments and royalties on global sales.
Companies prepare for Phase 1 trial
CStone Pharmaceuticals and Kimia Therapeutics, based in Berkeley, California, announced a clinical collaboration agreement on November 3. The joint program focuses on a potentially first-in-class drug candidate targeting a DNA damage response pathway that is essential to the survival of solid tumor cells.
CStone will lead clinical development in mainland China and Australia. The planned Phase 1 trial will include dose-escalation and dose-expansion stages. Researchers will assess the candidate's safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and early activity in biomarker-selected patient groups.
Kimia uses artificial intelligence to discover new drugs
Kimia develops small-molecule drugs for oncology and immunology applications. Its proprietary ATLAS platform, named after the acronym for AcTive Learning with Automated Synthesis and screening, combines machine-learning-assisted molecular design with high-throughput, nanogram-scale synthesis and direct biological screening.
According to the company, the system works across reaction-defined chemical spaces containing hundreds of millions of molecules. The platform enables the selection, synthesis and testing of several thousand compounds per cycle, while machine learning progressively focuses on molecules that may be better suited for therapeutic development.
Kimia's lead oncology program is expected to enter clinical development in the first quarter of 2027, according to the company's plans. The company is a portfolio company of The Column Group, which focuses on building and financing biotechnology companies.
CStone may receive cost reimbursements and royalties
Under the collaboration, Kimia will provide the drug supply required for clinical trials, as well as scientific guidance, product-related regulatory oversight and additional development support as agreed. Kimia will reimburse CStone for its relevant clinical development costs.
Under the agreement, CStone may be eligible for milestone payments and royalties from global net sales of the drug candidate during the applicable royalty payment period. The parties have established a co-development model that combines CStone's clinical and regulatory expertise with Kimia's artificial intelligence-powered drug discovery platform.
Jason Yang, CStone's chief executive officer and head of research and development, said the agreement could create a framework that may be extended to additional Kimia programs and other portfolio companies of The Column Group. According to CStone, the company has so far commercialized four innovative drugs and secured approval for 21 new drugs across nine indications. Its portfolio includes 13 innovative drug candidates.
For patients, the collaboration currently represents only the start of clinical development. The planned Phase 1 trial is intended to assess the candidate's safety and early efficacy, so the results of the studies will determine the basis for further development of the program.
