Vertex secures $15M Orum licensing for gene editing riches

Vertex Pharmaceuticals has entered into a strategic licensing agreement with South Korean biotech company Orum to advance its gene editing therapy portfolio. This move comes after Vertex’s successful collaboration with CRISPR Therapeutics, which led to the approval of the sickle cell gene editing therapy, Casgevy, in 2017.

In this recent agreement, Vertex will gain access to Orum's degrader-antibody conjugate technology. The deal stipulates an upfront payment of $15 million to Orum, with the possibility of earning up to $310 million per target in milestone payments, alongside royalties from future sales. The collaboration focuses on three specific targets, with Vertex taking on the responsibility for all research, development, and commercialization activities related to these targets.

Vertex aims to leverage Orum's protein degraders to discover new conditioning agents. Conditioning agents are essential in medical treatments as they prepare patients for more intense and potentially disruptive therapies, such as gene therapy. These agents help increase the likelihood of treatment success while minimizing adverse side effects for patients.

Orum's innovative approach, known as Dual-Precision Targeted Protein Degradation, involves a combination of tumor-targeting antibodies and molecular glue degraders. These degraders bind to target proteins and recruit enzymes that break down these proteins, leading to the destruction of tumor cells. This method is designed to selectively target and eliminate specific proteins in tumor cells, resulting in cell death.

One of Orum's primary candidates utilizing this technology is ORM-5029, which is currently undergoing clinical development for the treatment of HER2-expressing solid tumors. This promising candidate exemplifies the potential of Orum’s technology in targeting and treating different forms of cancer.

Orum previously entered into another significant licensing deal in late 2022. Bristol Myers Squibb acquired Orum's phase 1 blood cancer treatment for an upfront payment of $100 million. While this payment was substantial, it highlights the increasing interest and investment from major pharmaceutical companies in Orum’s advanced therapeutic technologies.

Overall, Vertex's partnership with Orum represents a strategic move to bolster its gene editing therapy capabilities. The integration of Orum's degrader-antibody conjugate technology is expected to enhance Vertex's ability to develop more effective conditioning agents, potentially improving patient outcomes in gene therapy treatments. This collaboration underscores the growing trend of pharmaceutical companies seeking innovative biotechnological solutions to address complex medical conditions, particularly in the realm of cancer and gene therapy.