The research will focus on accelerating the capacities of BLU-222, an investigational therapy that Blueprint designed to target cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2).
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International precision therapy maker Blueprint Medicines has entered into a three-year research collaboration deal with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to develop targeted therapies for different types of cancers.
The partnership merges the expertise and resources of Blueprint Medicine’s precision therapy pipeline, the drug development capabilities of MD Anderson’s Therapeutics Discovery division, and MD Anderson’s translational research scientists. The research will focus on accelerating the capacities of BLU-222, an investigational therapy that Blueprint designed to target cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2).
More specifically, the researchers will look into characterizing the range of cancer types that respond to treatment using a selective CDK2 inhibitor. They will advance BLU-222 mono- and combination-therapy procedures to come up with greater patient benefits and identify novel biomarkers that might optimize how patients are selected for therapies and better predict treatment outcomes.
Cyclin-dependent kinases and their partners are responsible for regulating the cell cycle (from growth to division). In some types of cancer, aberrant cyclin E hyperactivates CKD2, leading to problems with the cell cycle and, alter, tumor proliferation.
BLU-222 is a potential CDK2 inhibitor that has shown promise against certain breast, gastric, and ovarian cancers. Phase 1 of human clinical trials for BLU-222 is set to begin in the first half of 2022.
Under the terms of the agreement, Blueprint Medicines will liaise primarily with MD Anderson’s TRACTION platform, which could strengthen translational biology research efforts to develop new clinical trial-ready therapies. TRACTION, or Translational Research to Advance Therapeutics and Innovation in Oncology, is the core of MD Anderson’s Therapeutics Discovery arm.
“As a critical regulator of the cell cycle, CDK2 is an exciting therapeutic target in oncology with broad potential across multiple populations and treatment settings. Through our collaboration with Blueprint Medicines, we aim to improve the scientific understanding of the role of CDK2 inhibition in cancer treatment and advance a new therapeutic option for patients with difficult-to-treat tumors, which further demonstrates our commitment to work at the forefront of cancer research,” commented Timothy Heffernan, Ph.D., the executive director of TRACTION and head of oncology research in the Therapeutics Discovery unit.
Blueprint Medicines and MD Anderson will have equal voices in designing the translational studies. Blueprint will provide the research compounds, funding, and additional support. MD Anderson will also be receiving payments should the future of BLU-222 as a treatment turns out to be successful and profitable.
In the same statement, Blueprint Medicines, president of research and development Fouad Namouni, M.D., said that this access to MD Anderson’s resources and expertise would reveal the full capabilities of BLU-222 in cancer therapies and hopefully bring the treatments to as many people worldwide as possible.
