BerGenBio Partners with Tempus to Speed Up STK11m NSCLC Development

BerGenBio ASA, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Bergen, Norway, has announced a collaboration with Tempus, a leading technology company specializing in AI-driven precision medicine. The partnership aims to advance the clinical development of BerGenBio's selective AXL inhibitor, bemcentinib, for first-line treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients with STK11 mutations (STK11m).

The ongoing BGBC016 Phase 1b/2a trial by BerGenBio is focused on the benefits of adding bemcentinib to the current standard of care, which includes immunotherapy combined with doublet chemotherapy, for patients with STK11m. This patient population typically has poor clinical outcomes and lacks specific targeted therapies.

Through this collaboration, BerGenBio will gain access to Tempus’ extensive clinical and molecular data. This tailored data cohort is intended to establish a synthetic control group, which will serve as a benchmark for evaluating the efficacy of bemcentinib. Tempus' advanced AI platform will provide customized analyses of the data, offering deeper insights into the genomic characteristics and therapeutic responses of NSCLC patients with STK11 mutations.

At the conclusion of the BGBC016 study, BerGenBio and Tempus plan to present the insights gathered from the data to regulatory authorities as the next step in the further development of bemcentinib.

Martin Olin, CEO of BerGenBio, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, emphasizing the potential benefits of integrating Tempus' advanced technology into their study. “By leveraging Tempus’ platform, we aim to gain a better understanding of the disease biology and treatment outcomes, which will support the accelerated development of bemcentinib,” Olin stated.

Kate Sasser, Chief Scientific Officer at Tempus, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the collaboration's potential to advance precision therapies for STK11m NSCLC patients. She remarked, “Together, we aim to unlock new insights that will ultimately improve patient outcomes and redefine the standard of care in this challenging disease setting.”

BerGenBio is focused on developing transformative drugs targeting AXL kinase as a cornerstone therapy for aggressive diseases such as cancer and severe respiratory infections. Their leading proprietary candidate, bemcentinib, is a selective AXL inhibitor currently being developed not only for NSCLC with STK11 mutations but also for severe respiratory infections.

The collaboration with Tempus marks a significant step forward in BerGenBio's mission to address unmet medical needs in oncology. By combining their expertise in developing targeted therapies with Tempus' cutting-edge AI capabilities, the two companies are poised to make meaningful advancements in the treatment of NSCLC.

This partnership underscores the growing importance of precision medicine and the role of artificial intelligence in driving innovations in clinical development. As the BGBC016 trial progresses, the real-world clinical and molecular data provided by Tempus will be crucial in establishing the efficacy of bemcentinib, potentially offering new hope for patients with limited treatment options.

In summary, the collaboration between BerGenBio and Tempus represents a promising convergence of biopharmaceutical innovation and AI technology, aimed at improving treatment outcomes for NSCLC patients with STK11 mutations. The insights gained from this partnership could pave the way for future advancements in the field of precision oncology.