Day One Biopharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing targeted therapies for people of all ages with life-threatening diseases, announced it has entered into an exclusive, worldwide license agreement and research collaboration with Sprint Bioscience for its VRK1 program.
Vaccinia-related kinase 1 (VRK1) is a novel target involved in the regulation of cell division and DNA damage repair. Over-expression of VRK1 is linked to poor prognosis in a variety of adult and pediatric cancers, and VRK1 has been identified as a synthetic lethal target in tumors where expression of its paralog, VRK2, is lost. Silencing of VRK2 expression via promoter methylation has been noted in the majority of high-grade gliomas and high-risk neuroblastomas, providing a concrete approach for selecting patients with tumors sensitive to VRK1 inhibition.
“This collaboration is an important continuation of measured portfolio development at Day One, which focuses on targeted therapies for children and adults with cancer in need of novel treatment approaches,” said Dr. Samuel Blackman, co-founder and head of research and development, Day One. “We look forward to collaborating with Sprint Bioscience, who has strong discovery and research expertise, and working to advance the VRK1 program through lead optimization and into the clinic.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Day One will make an upfront payment of $3 million to Sprint Bioscience and reimburse Sprint Bioscience for pre-clinical research and development expenses. Sprint Bioscience will be eligible to receive additional milestone payments of up to approximately $313 million plus single-digit royalties pending achievement of certain research, development, regulatory and commercial outcomes.