Morphosys takes option on Vivoryon’s QPCTL inhibitors in oncology – Germany’s Morphosys (MOR) has taken up an option to license Vivoryon’s family of inhibitors of the glutaminyl-peptide cyclotransferase-like (QPCTL) protein in oncology, in exchange for a commitment to invest €15m as part of a capital raising planned for later this year. The option covers Vivoryon’s lead compound PQ912, which has completed a Phase IIa trial in Alzheimer’s disease for which recent preclinical data suggest also has potential in cancer.
The development provides a cornerstone investor for Vivoryon (formerly known as ProBioDrug), which has hitherto struggled to raise the finance required for its planned Phase IIb trial for PQ912 in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease, primarily as investors became disillusioned with this space after a spate of clinical failures. However, the study – which may cost ~€30m – was recently awarded $15m of funding over foutr years by the US National Institutes of Health. PQ 912 targets several Alzheimer’s disease mechanisms, including the buildup of a particularly toxic form of amyloid beta peptides as well as the modulation of the neuroinflammatory process that occurs in the disease. The study is designed as a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating 460 study participants for a duration of 18 months.
Meanwhile, the drugs’ potential activity in cancer arises because the QPCTL enzyme has been shown to modulate the CD47-SIRP alpha interaction. Left unchecked, this interaction, known as the “don’t eat me” signal, allows cancer cells to escape the body’s innate immune defense through inhibition of the phagocytic activity of macrophages. During the option period, MorphoSys intends to conduct preclinical validation on Vivoryon’s QPCTL inhibitors, including an assessment of the potential benefits of combining them with MorphoSys’s proprietary tafasitamab (MOR208), which is currently in late-stage development for the treatment of relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (r/r DLBCL).
If MorphoSys chooses to exercise the option, Vivoryon Therapeutics will receive an option fee, and is eligible for milestone payments and royalties.Vivoryon’s shares were up by 10% on the news.