The Bayer pharmaceutical group has just signed a global collaboration agreement with the American company Kumquat Biosciences. Objective : Develop and market experimental treatment against a widespread genetic mutation in pancreas, lung and colon cancer. This strategic partnership could lead to a new precision drug in a field where the options are still limited.
A key mutation in highly fatal cancers
The agreement relates precisely to an inhibitor developed by Kumquat, which targets Kras G12D, a genetic mutation responsible for the growth of many tumors. Present in almost 25 % of human cancers, it remains today very difficult to treatespecially in pancreatic cancers, renowned for their severity and resistance to existing treatments.
The drug, still in the early line of clinical trial, received authorization from the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to start people on humans in July 2025. It is a small molecule designed to specifically block this mutation and thus stop the proliferation of tumor cells.
« Kras G12D is one of the most oncogenic variants and to date there is no approved therapy to target it effectively », Underlines Dominik Ruettinger, head of research in oncology at Bayer.
A global ambition, considerable issues
Founded in 2019 in California, Kumquat Biosciences specializes in so -called ” incurable Because difficult to target. It develops new generation treatments, based on small molecules and immunotherapy.
Biotech will conduct the first phases of clinical trials of its medication, and Bayer will then take over for the advanced development stages, the marketing and distribution of the drug worldwide. In return, Biotech will receive up to $ 1.3 billion.
For Bayer, this partnership strengthens its strategy in precision oncology, a booming area. “” We are constantly looking for innovative approaches to improve patient results “Said Juergen Eckhardt, head of partnerships at Bayer.
« While optimally progressing our Kras G12D program in clinic, this collaboration provides Kumquat financial resources to accelerate its wider clinical roadmap for long -term value, and positions Kumquat to provide drugs that change life and reach sustained growth in the years to come », commente Yi Liu, PDG de Kumquat.
If the clinical results are there, This collaboration could open the way to a new generation of targeted treatments against some of the most deadly cancers.
- Bayer combines with Californian Kumquat biotech to develop experimental treatment against a genetic mutation involved in many cancers.
- This partnership, which could reach $ 1.3 billion, aims to bring out targeted therapy against Kras G12D, a mutation still without effective treatment.
- The agreement marks a strategic advance for Bayer in precision oncology, and offers Kumquat the means to accelerate the development of its future drugs.
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