Pfizer partners with Triana in $1.5bn molecular glue deal

Pfizer and Triana Biomedicines have formed a significant strategic collaboration and licensing agreement valued at over $1.5 billion. This partnership aims to develop molecular glue degraders (MGDs) for the treatment of cancer and other serious diseases. MGDs represent a novel class of drugs designed to target proteins that have traditionally been deemed 'undruggable' by conventional therapeutic methods.

Through this collaboration, Triana's expertise in molecular glue and E3-ligase pairing will be utilized to discover new MGDs targeting various diseases, including cancer. Triana is set to lead the discovery and identification process of potential candidates for development. Pfizer, on the other hand, will have the option to acquire an exclusive license to further advance these candidates through preclinical and clinical development stages.

As part of this partnership, Triana will receive an upfront payment of $49 million from Pfizer. Additionally, Triana stands to gain potential future milestone payments that could exceed $1.5 billion, along with tiered royalties. Jeff Settleman, the chief scientific officer at Pfizer Oncology, expressed optimism about the collaboration, highlighting the potential to drive scientific progress for cancer patients. Patrick Trojer, the president and CEO of Triana, also expressed excitement about the partnership’s potential to create groundbreaking treatments for diseases with significant unmet needs.

The pharmaceutical industry has been increasingly focusing on the development of MGDs. These innovative drugs work by promoting the interaction of disease-causing proteins with the cell’s ubiquitin-proteasome system, leading to their degradation. This mechanism opens up new avenues for targeting diseases that were previously difficult to treat with existing drug approaches.

In recent months, several other significant partnerships have been formed in the MGD space. For instance, in August, Eisai entered into a partnership with SEED Therapeutics, aimed at developing MGDs for various undisclosed targets in neurodegeneration and oncology. This alliance, valued at up to $1.5 billion, will see SEED leading the preclinical discovery activities, including the selection of E3 ligases and the identification of suitable MGDs. Eisai is set to retain exclusive rights for the development and commercialization of any resultant compounds.

Similarly, in May, Takeda announced a $1.2 billion partnership with Degron Therapeutics to explore targets in oncology, neuroscience, and inflammation using MGDs. In February, Novo Nordisk entered into a $1.46 billion collaboration with Neomorph to develop MGDs targeting cardiometabolic and rare diseases.

Other notable MGD-focused deals include Roche's agreement with Monte Rosa Therapeutics and Merck & Co’s multi-year collaboration with Proxygen. These partnerships underscore the growing interest and investment in the development of MGDs across the pharmaceutical industry, driven by their potential to address challenging disease targets and create innovative treatments for patients in need.