Ajax Therapeutics and Schrödinger, announced an expansion of their exclusive research collaboration to include a new Janus kinase (JAK) target. The partnership was established in 2019 with a goal of leveraging Schrödinger’s advanced computational platform and Ajax’s structural biology insights to develop a pipeline of novel molecules, with a focus on JAK inhibitors. Ajax’s lead candidate from the collaboration, AJ1-11095, is a potential first-in-class Type II JAK2 inhibitor currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical study for the treatment of myelofibrosis.
“We’re excited to expand our longstanding research collaboration with Schrödinger,” stated Martin Vogelbaum, chief executive officer of Ajax Therapeutics. “Given our teams’ history of success in creating more selective and potent JAK2 inhibitors, we expect to take a similar approach to this new JAK target with the goal of generating a new class of inhibitors that extend beyond oncology indications to include inflammatory and autoimmune disorders.”
“Our collaboration with Ajax and the progress of AJ1-11095 demonstrates the power of combining our world-leading computational platform at scale with Ajax’s novel structural biology insights,” stated Ramy Farid, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Schrödinger. “We are really pleased with the progress our teams have made over the course of this partnership, and we look forward to working with the Ajax team on this new JAK family target.”
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Abnormal JAK signaling is a key driver in myeloproliferative neoplasms, including myelofibrosis, as well as in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. In collaboration with Schrödinger, Ajax is leveraging advanced computational methods and structural biology insights to develop next-generation inhibitors with the potential for greater selectivity and deeper, more durable responses compared to existing JAK inhibitors.
Under the terms of the amended agreement, Ajax and Schrödinger will collaborate on the discovery of the development candidate, and Ajax will be responsible for clinical development and commercialization. Schrödinger is eligible to receive discovery and development milestones similar to the terms of the original agreement. Schrödinger is also eligible to receive sales milestones and single-digit royalties on net sales of any products emerging from the additional target.
SOURCE: Businesswire