BridGene Biosciences has entered a strategic partnership and licensing deal with Galapagos for the discovery of new small-molecule drug candidates for oncology targets.

Leveraging its chemoproteomics platform, IMTAC, BridGene will detect potential drug candidates against the partnership targets.

The companies will jointly progress these molecules into clinical candidates, with Galapagos holding their sole development and commercialisation rights.

The focus of the preclinical research partnership will be on specific oncology targets identified by Galapagos.

BridGene will receive $27m in upfront and preclinical milestone payments from Galapagos and royalty payments on the net product sales.

Galapagos will make milestone payments of $700m to BridGene on meeting specified clinical and commercial goals.

BridGene focuses on the discovery and development of small molecules that target traditionally undruggable targets, offering new avenues for disease treatment.

Utilising the IMTAC platform, it monitors small molecules against all proteins within live cells, aiming to discover drug candidates for such targets.

Galapagos small molecules discovery senior vice-president and head Pierre Raboisson stated: “BridGene’s proven expertise in discovering small molecule drugs for challenging targets positions them as an ideal partner in pioneering new avenues in oncology drug discovery.

"By integrating BridGene’s innovative platform with our robust capabilities in drug discovery and clinical development, we are poised to develop breakthrough cancer therapies.

“Our goal is to deliver transformative precision medicines for cancer with limited treatment options.”

In November 2023, Galapagos entered a multi-year strategic manufacturing agreement with Landmark Bio to produce oncology chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy clinical programmes at the point of care.

Landmark Bio agreed to produce clinical trial batches of the CAR-T cell therapies of Galapagos for haematology-oncology fields. The manufacturing will comply with good manufacturing practice standards in the Boston metropolitan area of the US.