Identification and validation of new therapeutic targets against pancreatic cancer
- Building a common Artificial Intelligence (AI) analytical platform
- Generation and sharing of clinical and biological data, AI tools and expertise in experimental pharmacology
- Servier may partner with OPM in a Drug Discovery program based on certain targets identified with this approach
Regulatory News:
Global pharmaceutical group Servier and Oncodesign Precision Medicine (OPM), a subsidiary of Oncodesign (ALONC FR0011766229) (Paris:ALONC), announce a collaborative research agreement, named 'STarT Pancreas', to identify and validate new therapeutic targets in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC).
The three-year agreement between Oncodesign Precision Medicine (OPM) and Servier includes two steps:
- Co-construction of an AI analytical platform based on data generated in the OncoSNIPE clinical trialand identification of targets with this platform
- experimental validation of the pre-selected targets.
With the option for Servier to initiate a drug discovery program on its own or through a new partnership with Oncodesign Precision Medicine for each of the targets selected by Servier.
Under the terms of the agreement, Servier and OPM (through its OncoSNIPE program) will be responsible for clinical research activities. Servier will fund the associated research costs. The target identification program will be funded by OPM and Servier.
Servier has a worldwide exclusive license exclusive option on the results of the program, exercisable upon identification of targets. If Servier does not exercise the option, OPM recovers an exclusive license option on certain categories of targets. OPM will receive an upfront payment of €0.5 million and a second payment of €0.5 million, no later than December 31, 2024, subject to the achievement of certain objectives, as well as other milestone payments until the drug candidate(s) is (are) validated to enter Phase 1.
Dr Philippe Genne, Chairman and CEO and Founder of Oncodesign, "We are very pleased with this original collaboration with the Servier Group, in the continuity of the interactions developed for more than 25 years, it is a historical partner of Oncodesign and now of OPM. This collaboration is a direct result of our investment since 2017 in AI technologies in the framework of the OncoSNIPE project. This is a highly symbolic collaboration contract for OPM which validates the interest of the technological developments made over the last 5 years, it will allow us to structure and strengthen our platform and our data bank with very high-quality data. OPM will be able to keep the rights on certain targets that Servier would not want to work. We are pleased to bring our Artificial Intelligence based innovation for precision medicine
Dr. Stéphane Gerart, Director of Artificial Intelligence at Oncodesign: "OPM's experience in oncology and in the management of observational clinical trials combined with Servier's ambition will enable the implementation of an innovative program for the identification and validation of therapeutic targets by pooling our artificial intelligence and experimental approaches."
Dr. Walid S. Kamoun, Servier's Director of R&D Oncology: "We are delighted to initiate this collaboration with OPM, and to contribute to the development of an AI-based data analysis solution that could enable us to identify new therapeutic targets in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, a dreaded cancer increasing in industrialized countries. This partnership is in line with the Group's strategy of making the fight against cancer one of its strategic priorities, targeting hard-to-treat cancers for which treatment options are limited
Dr. Jean-Philippe Stephan, Director of Servier's In Vitro Pharmacology Research Unit: "The STarT Pancreas program, co-developed with OPM, place patient data at the heart of Research activities. Our goal is to establish a very dynamic Artificial Intelligence analytical platform that constantly adapts based on patient-derived data and experimental validation of identified targets to accelerate the drug discovery programs in precision medicine
Pancreatic cancer is considered as one of the most difficult cancers to treat, due to its insidious symptoms and high degree of malignancy leading to a high mortality rate. In 2018 in France, pancreatic cancer was the 9th most common cancer in men and the 7th most common cancer in women. There are around 14,184 new cases in France per year.1 The need for treatment is significant, as the incidence of pancreatic cancer is increasing year after year.
About Servier
Servier is a global pharmaceutical group governed by a Foundation. With a strong international presence in 150 countries and a total revenue of 4.7 billion euros in 2021, Servier employs 21,800 people worldwide. Servier is an independent group that invests over 20% of its brand-name revenue in Research and Development every year. To accelerate therapeutic innovation for the benefit of patients, the Group is committed to open and collaborative innovation with academic partners, pharmaceutical groups, and biotech companies. It also integrates the patient's voice at the heart of its activities.
A leader in cardiology, the ambition of the Servier Group is to become a renowned and innovative player in oncology. Its growth is based on a sustained commitment to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, oncology, neuroscience and immuno-inflammatory diseases. To promote access to healthcare for all, the Servier Group also offers a range of quality generic drugs covering most pathologies.
More information: www.servier.com
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About OncoSNIPE
OncoSNIPE is a project that aims to develop and implement bioinformatics approaches using methodologies based on artificial intelligence, statistical learning and semantic enrichment, among others, to identify and characterize patients resistant to anti-cancer treatments and thus guide the research and development of specific therapeutic solutions through the identification of new targets. OncoSNIPE will enable Oncodesign Precision Medicine (OPM) to generate new therapeutic research avenues for its Experimentation and Discovery activities. The project is led and coordinated by Oncodesign through its subsidiary OPM; it brings together the skills of 4 industrial partners with complementary and synergistic expertise and core businesses: Expert AI (Paris), Coexya (Lyon), Acobiom (Montpellier) and Oncodesign (Dijon) and 12 academic institutions.
The OncoSNIPE program aims to stratify and characterize patient populations resistant to cancer treatments. Oncodesign is collecting clinical, biological, genetic and imaging data and samples from chemo-naive patients with triple-negative breast cancer, pancreatic cancer and lung cancer during the course of their treatment in an observational clinical trial
About OPM
Oncodesign Precision Medicine (OPM), a subsidiary of Oncodesign, is a technological company specialized in precision medicine. Its mission is to provide innovative therapeutic and diagnostic solutions to treat the phenomena of therapeutic resistance and metastatic evolution of cancers. The patient is at the heart of its thinking, its truly unique innovation model and its investments. With a diversified portfolio of compounds and therapeutic targets, OPM is positioned as a drug hunter of effective compounds against resistant and advanced cancers and other diseases without therapeutic solutions. For OPM, "working together is essential", there can be no value creation without exchange and dialogue. For us, value creation results from reciprocity, i.e. balanced and equitable exchanges at all levels, whether between internal collaborators, or with our partners, therapists, patients, experts and investors. More information: opm.oncodesign.com
Forward-looking statements
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1 Pancreatic cancers: key points Pancreatic cancer (e-cancer.fr)
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Contacts:
Oncodesign
Philippe Genne
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Phone: +33 (0)3 80 78 82 60
investisseurs@oncodesign.com
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Investor Relations
Mathilde Bohin Louis-Victor Delouvrier
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oncodesign@newcap.eu
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Arthur Rouillé
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