First patient dosed in the lead collaboration program triggers a $10 million milestone payment to Janux
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--$JANX--Janux Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: JANX) (Janux), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a broad pipeline of novel immunotherapies by applying its proprietary technologies to its Tumor Activated T Cell Engager (TRACTr), Tumor Activated Immunomodulator (TRACIr), and Adaptive Immune Response Modulator (ARM) platforms, today announced the dosing of the first patient in its TRACTr collaboration with Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada. Under the terms of the collaboration that was entered in December 2020, Janux is eligible to receive development and commercial milestone payments and royalties.
“This milestone underscores the strength of our approach to generating value through both internal innovation and strategic partnerships, and it reflects the growing promise of our TRACTr pipeline—precision engineered to selectively modulate T cells to fight cancer,” said David Campbell, Ph.D., President and CEO of Janux.
“We’re thrilled to mark this pivotal achievement with the first clinical program emerging from our collaboration with Merck. This event displays strong collaboration with our partner and the ability to advance novel therapeutics derived from our underlying platforms from discovery into clinical trials,” said Janeen Doyle, Chief Corporate and Business Development Officer of Janux.
Janux’s TRACTr, TRACIr and ARM Pipeline
Janux’s first clinical candidate, JANX007, is a TRACTr that targets prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) and is being investigated in a Phase 1 clinical trial in adult patients with mCRPC. Janux’s second clinical candidate, JANX008, is a TRACTr that targets epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and is being studied in a Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of multiple solid cancers including colorectal carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, small cell lung cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and triple-negative breast cancer. Janux is also advancing additional CD3-based TRACTr and CD28-based TRACIr programs for future clinical development, including a PSMA-TRACIr for use in combination with our PSMA-TRACTr JANX007, and a TROP2-TRACTr for the treatment of TROP2+ solid tumors. Janux is advancing its first ARM platform program candidate, a CD19-ARM for the potential treatment of autoimmune diseases toward clinical trials. Janux is also generating a number of additional TRACTr, TRACIr and ARM programs for potential future development.
About Janux Therapeutics
Janux is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a broad pipeline of novel immunotherapies by applying its proprietary technology to its Tumor Activated T Cell Engager (TRACTr), Tumor Activated Immunomodulator (TRACIr), and Adaptive Immune Response Modulator (ARM) platforms. Janux has two TRACTr therapeutic candidates in clinical trials, the first targeting PSMA is in development for prostate cancer, and the second targeting EGFR is being developed for colorectal carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, small cell lung cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and triple-negative breast cancer. For more information, please visit www.januxrx.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding, among other things, Janux’s ability to bring new treatments to cancer patients in need, expectations regarding the timing, scope and results of Janux’s development activities, including its ongoing and planned preclinical studies and clinical trials, the timing of and plans for regulatory filings, the potential benefits of Janux’s product candidates and platform technologies, and expectations regarding the use of Janux’s platform technologies to generate novel product candidates. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially include the risk that compounds that appear promising in early research do not demonstrate safety and/or efficacy in later preclinical studies or clinical trials, the risk that Janux may not obtain approval to market its product candidates, uncertainties associated with performing clinical trials, regulatory filings and applications, risks associated with reliance on third parties to successfully conduct clinical trials, the risks associated with reliance on outside financing to meet capital requirements, and other risks associated with the process of discovering, developing and commercializing drugs that are safe and effective for use as human therapeutics, and in the endeavor of building a business around such drugs. You are urged to consider statements that include the words “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “believes,” “estimates,” “projects,” “promise,” “potential,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “continues,” “designed,” “goal,” or the negative of those words or other comparable words to be uncertain and forward-looking. For a further list and description of the risks and uncertainties Janux faces, please refer to Janux’s periodic and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available at www.sec.gov. Such forward-looking statements are current only as of the date they are made, and Janux assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, which is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Contacts
Investors:
Andy Meyer
Janux Therapeutics
ameyer@januxrx.com
(202) 215-2579
Media:
Jessica Yingling, Ph.D.
Little Dog Communications Inc.
jessica@litldog.com
(858) 344-8091
