On November 18, 2021 Ribonexus (previously Aglaia Therapeutics), a biotechnology startup developing promising new therapies that can overcome resistance to current targeted therapies in cancer patients, and French pharmaceutical group Pierre Fabre reported the signing of an exclusive license agreement on a series of Pierre Fabre patented small molecules targeting the Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A (eIF4A) (Press release, Pierre Fabre, NOV 18, 2021, https://ribonexus-project.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2021-11-18-Ribonexus-Pierre-Fabre-EN.pdf [SID1234628868]). This target is highly expressed in a variety of solid and hematologic cancers, including melanoma, and associated with resistance to many current therapies. Inhibiting eIF4A appears therefore to be a promising therapeutic approach.
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In return for the license rights granted to Ribonexus, Pierre Fabre will receive development and sales milestones payments and royalties on future sales. Financial details are not disclosed.
To foster its pre-clinical development program, Ribonexus will benefit from Pierre Fabre’s knowledge and support on the pharmacology and chemistry of the licensed molecules.
Scientific co-founders of Ribonexus, Pr Caroline Robert, Head of the Dermatology Unit at Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus and Dr Stéphan Vagner, Research Director at Institut Curie, said: "While targeted therapies have dramatically improved cancer patient outcomes, global efficacy of these treatments decreases over time, with patients rapidly developing resistance to therapies. We aim to deliver best- and first- in class drugs that can restore sensitivity to current targeted therapies in those cancer patients."
"We are very pleased to enable a license agreement with a young French biotech company, whose strategic direction is based on the solid and recognized oncology expertise of its founders. This cooperation was an obvious choice for Pierre Fabre as we share with Ribonexus the same ambition to bring the best innovative treatments to cancer patients. We look forward to providing Ribonexus with our compounds directed against eIF4A, an emerging target to fight cancer and resistance to targeted therapies", added Francesco Hofmann, Head of R&D at Pierre Fabre Medical Care.
The startup changed its name to Ribonexus, effective since November 2021, to reflect the central role of eIF4A in the translation of specific mRNAs (messenger ribonucleic acids), cancer development and resistance to targeted therapies.
About the eIF4A target
EIF4A, an RNA helicase, is one of the three proteins composing the eIF4F complex, essential for the cap-dependent translation initiation of many oncogenic proteins.
The abnormal activity of this complex, observed in many cancers, leads to the synthesis of proteins involved in tumor
growth and metastasis. In addition, the selective translation of cellular mRNAs, controlled by this eIf4F complex, also
contributes to the resistance to cancer treatments such as targeted therapies and checkpoint inhibitors.