Amgen buys Dark Blue Therapeutics for up to $840m
The target for the Nasdaq-quoted giant would seem to be Dark Blue's lead candidate in the MLLT1/3 programme, DBT 3757, which is a differentiated investigational molecule designed to treat Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. The acquisition price includes upfront and future milestones.
Dark Blue Therapeutics is a discovery and development biotech company pioneering the next generation of precision oncology medicines.
DBT 3757, currently in IND-enabling studies, represents a first-in-class therapeutic strategy for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), with the potential for producing strong, broad and durable responses as an effective single-agent therapy. Its favourable safety profile suggests it could serve as a foundation for combination treatments earlier in the therapeutic course.
Leveraging partnerships with world-leading academic experts, Dark Blue has been able to translate cutting-edge discoveries into previously unexploited Achilles-heel vulnerabilities and dependencies in cancer. The MLLT 1/3 programme’s scientific foundation is rooted in unique insights from Oxford University and was awarded pre-seed funding from the ‘LAB282’ initiative. Dark Blue has been strongly supported by investors Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE), Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) and Evotec.
Alastair MacKinnon, CEO of Dark Blue Therapeutics, said: “Amgen has the expertise, resources and commitment to accelerate development of DBT 3757 to treat patients with acute leukaemia, including those that do not respond to current standard therapies.
“With its world-leading capabilities in oncology and deep experience in developing, manufacturing, and commercialising novel medicines, we are confident that Amgen will build on our pre-clinical work to bring DBT 3757 to the patients who urgently need new treatment options.”
Jay Bradner, executive vice president of Research and Development at Amgen, added: “Acute myeloid leukaemia remains one of the most difficult cancers to treat, and we see an urgent need for new mechanisms capable of changing the trajectory of this disease.
“This acquisition complements and extends our research in targeted protein degradation and leukaemia therapeutics, advancing our strategy to invest early in rising medicines for novel therapeutic targets. The adjacency of this program to our considered expertise in cancer biology will propel MLLT1/3-targeting medicines to clinical investigation for patients facing the challenging diagnosis of AML.”
Amgen expects to integrate Dark Blue Therapeutics into its existing research organisation, further strengthening the company’s early oncology discovery efforts.
