On June 9, 2016 Aptose Biosciences (APTO +8.1%) reported that it enters into an exclusive global option and license agreement with Seoul, South Korea-based CrystalGenomics to develop CG026806, a small molecule inhibitor of a group of enzymes called Aurora kinases, as well as Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) and FMS-like tyrosine kinase (FLT3) (Press release, CrystalGenomics, JUN 9, 2016, View Source;id=1463&page=4&num=93&nowpos=512&type=&sermun=&qu=&tb_name=eng_news&rt_page=/en/news/news.php [SID1234539168]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

CrystalGenomics could earn up to $303M, including milestones, and will receive single-digit royalties on worldwide net sales exclusive of Korea and China.

The product candidate, expected to enter early-stage development in mid-2017, has potential efficacy in a range of cancers, including blood cancers, and certain autoimmune diseases. BTK plays a key role in B cell blood cancers, FLT3 occurs in about a third of acute myeloid leukemia and Aurora kinases are principal drivers of certain blood cancers and solid tumors.