Orionis Biosciences and Genentech Partner to Develop Cancer Molecular Glue Medicines

Orionis Biosciences, a clinical-stage life sciences company, has entered into a new multi-year collaboration with Genentech, part of the Roche Group. This partnership aims to uncover molecular glue medicines targeting difficult areas in oncology. Orionis, which is privately held, specializes in developing drug modalities that utilize induced proximity mechanisms. This collaboration with Genentech marks the second between the two companies, following their initial joint efforts in September 2023 to explore small-molecule medicines in fields such as oncology and neurodegeneration.

Orionis employs its proprietary Allo-Glue™ platform to advance the discovery and design of molecular glues that target challenging disease proteins. The platform integrates cutting-edge chemical biology tools, specially engineered cellular assay systems, and high-throughput robotic automation, all supported by sophisticated artificial intelligence infrastructure. This AI-driven approach uses predictive modeling and generative design to examine vast chemical spaces, accelerating the discovery and optimization process for molecular glue modalities in terms of potency, selectivity, and synthetic accessibility.

Under the collaboration agreement, Orionis is tasked with discovering and optimizing molecular glues, while Genentech will handle further development, regulatory filing, and commercialization of the resulting small molecules. Orionis will initially receive $105 million, with potential milestone payments exceeding $2 billion based on research, development, commercialization, and net sales. Additionally, tiered royalties may be earned on the sale of collaborative products.

Niko Kley, Co-Founder and CEO of Orionis, expressed enthusiasm for this expanded collaboration with Genentech, highlighting the focus on molecular glue types beyond targeted protein degraders. Kley emphasized that the strengthened alliance reflects a shared vision for advancing molecular glues, crediting the collaborative efforts of both teams over the past year.

Riccardo Sabatini, Orionis's Chief Data Scientist, noted the company's unique capability in discovering new drug modalities through integrating sophisticated technologies. Sabatini described the developments in small-molecule drug discovery as particularly exciting. Molecular glues, which include protein degraders and non-degraders, offer promising therapeutic potential by targeting disease-related proteins that traditional treatments have struggled to reach.

Boris L. Zaïtra, Head of Roche Corporate Business Development, underscored the significance of molecular glues as a therapeutic modality. He stated that this collaboration with Orionis could significantly bolster Roche’s efforts in delivering transformative cancer treatments to patients.

Orionis Biosciences is recognized for its pioneering work in discovering and designing therapeutic modalities that utilize molecular proximity-based mechanisms. The company’s Allo-Glue™ platform facilitates unprecedented target-focused and target-agnostic discovery of small molecule glues for various applications. Orionis also offers the A-Kine™ biologics platform consisting of engineered cytokines with high cell-target selectivity and multifunctional immune cell engagers. The company continues to advance a diverse pipeline of oncology programs and cancer immunotherapies, leveraging its innovative technologies across multiple disease targets and therapeutic areas in partnership with industry collaborators.