Under the terms of the agreement, Celgene has the option to acquire TRPH-395 from Triphase Accelerator. Celgene will pay an upfront of $40M and upon exercise of the option, Celgene will pay up to US$940M in contingent development, regulatory and sales milestones. Additional payments for sales-based royalties are also possible.  

“As with our previously announced spin outs, the Drug Discovery team at Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR), led by Dr. Rima Al Awar, has yet again produced a world-class asset for patients with cancer,” said Dr. David O’Neill, president of FACIT. “The quality of the team and commitment by Triphase Accelerator to engage Ontario researchers and clinical sites in its high content studies, combined with its long-standing relationship with Celgene made this partnership the most compelling path to impact patients and the local economy.” 

 

While additional payments to the program are largely contingent on clinical success, the significant financial commitment will enable re-investable returns by FACIT in the Ontario innovation economy.  

 

The WDR5 protein is critical for the formation and activities of certain protein complexes that are associated with DNA and indirectly modify genes. These processes represent an exciting new therapeutic field, referred to as epigenetics. Blood cancers like leukemia can result when WDR5-associated protein complexes are not appropriately regulated in the body. Drug compounds that can disrupt these cancer-causing cellular activities represent a novel therapeutic approach, which may also improve clinical outcomes in patients with solid tumours.

“This transaction represents a significant milestone for Triphase Accelerator as it brings together our long-standing collaboration with Celgene and a first-in-class asset from Ontario” said Dr. Ilse Treurnicht, executive chairperson at Triphase Accelerator. “We are excited that this transaction is another step forward to realizing the vision of the founding partners – OICR, MaRS Innovation and MaRS – and will allow Triphase to apply its unique science based, rapid, and cost-effective approach to advancing this Ontario based program toward clinical proof of concept.”

“Our investment in Propellon’s technology reflects our commitment to developing first-in-class epigenetic therapies for patients with hematological cancers,” remarked Dr. Jorge DiMartino, vice president of Translational Development at Celgene.  “The teams at OICR Drug Discovery, FACIT and Triphase Accelerator have together created an optimal pathway for oncology innovation and help make Ontario a strong collaborator and destination for our investment.”