Designated as GS-6791, NX‑0479 is a bivalent degrader which is the first development candidate resulting from the previously announced collaboration between the firms in 2019
The degradation of IRAK4 by NX‑0479 (GS-6791) can help in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases. (Credit: Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash)
Gilead Sciences has exercised its option to exclusively license NX‑0479 (GS-6791), an investigational targeted protein degrader development candidate from Nurix Therapeutics.
GS-6791 is a selective, oral IRAK4 degrader designed to target the scaffold as well as and kinase functions of the IRAK4 protein kinase. It is intended to inhibit the pro-inflammatory IL1 cytokine family of receptors (IL1Rs) and inflammatory responses downstream of toll-like receptors (TLR).
According to Gilead Sciences, the degradation of IRAK4 by GS-6791 can help in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as well as other inflammatory diseases.
The GS-6791 bivalent degrader is the first development candidate emerging from the previously announced collaboration between Gilead Sciences and Nurix Therapeutics, which was announced in 2019.
Both firms have been in a partnership to discover, develop, and commercialise a pipeline of targeted protein degradation therapies for patients with cancer and other diseases.
Gilead Sciences research executive vice president Flavius Martin said: “The Nurix IRAK4 degrader programme represents a quality modality targeting toll-like receptor and IL1 receptor-driven inflammation.
“We are pleased to advance our collaboration with Nurix and further expand our autoimmune pipeline with the goal of addressing the needs of people living with inflammatory diseases.”
As per the parties’ collaboration, option and license agreement for NX-0479, Gilead Sciences will pay a $20m option exercise payment to Nurix, with the potential to receive an additional $425m payments in clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestones.
Furthermore, Nurix Therapeutics will get up to low double-digit tiered royalties on the net sales of the product.
Nurix Therapeutics chief scientific officer Gwenn Hansen said: “Gilead’s exercise of the first licence option under our agreement is an important milestone and evidence of the significant progress that we have made in our strategic collaboration.
“Our highly productive DELigase platform has enabled us to advance multiple degrader programmes in our collaboration with Gilead and across our wholly owned pipeline.
“This progress demonstrates the value of our research enterprise and its capacity to create medicines to address an array of therapeutic areas in addition to oncology.”