Horizon Discovery Group in-licenses oncology programme from Servier

Horizon Discovery Group has signed a programme in-licensing and option agreement potentially worth over £50 million with Servier.

Horizon Discovery Group has in-licensed novel kinase inhibitors from Servier that exhibit great promise based on preclinical data for treatment of a range of cancer types but do not currently have a biomarker to define a sensitive patient population. Horizon Discovery Group will use its platform to identify the population of cancer patients most likely to respond to the in-licensed compounds, whether as single agents or in combinations with other drugs. Horizon Discovery Group also has the option to explore the use of the inhibitors in other therapeutic indications.

Under the terms of the agreement, Servier has a first option to license back the assets. Should Servier take up this option, Horizon Discovery Group would receive up to £50 million in milestone payments plus royalties on product sales. If Servier does not take up its option, Horizon Discovery Group will be free to seek another pharma partner and Horizon Discovery Group and Servier would then share in the success of the progression of the programme as it advances into the clinic and registration.

Horizon Discovery will evaluate the mechanism of action of the compounds

Horizon Discovery Group will evaluate the mechanism of action of the candidate compounds, and will verify the patient stratification hypothesis by preclinical experiments. Horizon Discovery Group will also define a path towards the development of biomarkers for both patient stratification and drug efficacy.

Dr Darrin M. Disley, Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Discovery Group, said, “The in-license of assets with a strong preclinical pedigree but do not yet have a clear clinical development strategy, represents a great opportunity for companies like Horizon. Demonstrating our scientific leadership through our translational genomics, drug combination and biomarker discovery platforms; we seek to identify genetic markers that predict drug sensitivity enabling programmes like this one to be progressed rapidly into the clinic for defined patient populations. This innovative deal, as part of our strategy to drive accelerated growth, offers significant upside potential for our investors built upon the leverage of our intellectual property, technology platforms and know-how.”