Benzinga | Sep 17, 2020 08:06AM EDT

Boehringer Ingelheim And Mirati Therapeutics Announce Clinical Collaboration To Study BI 1701963, A SOS1::pan-KRAS Inhibitor In Combination With MRTX849, A KRAS G12C Selective Inhibitor

INGELHEIM, Germany and SAN DIEGO, Sept. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Boehringer Ingelheim and Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRTX) today announced a clinical collaboration to evaluate the combination of BI 1701963, a SOS1::pan-KRAS inhibitor blocking KRAS independent of mutation type, and MRTX849, a KRAS G12C selective inhibitor in patients with solid tumors that harbor the KRAS G12C mutation. The collaboration will investigate the potential of this combination to provide more effective and durable responses for patients with lung and colorectal cancers who currently have limited treatment options.

Preclinical data suggest that the combination of a KRAS G12C inhibitor with a SOS1::pan-KRAS inhibitor results in increased anti-tumor activity based on the complementary mechanisms of these targeted oncology agents. By shifting the equilibrium from active KRAS(ON) towards the inactive KRAS(OFF) form, SOS1::pan-KRAS inhibitors have the potential to sensitize KRAS G12C mutant tumors to covalent KRAS G12C inhibitors that bind to KRAS(OFF).

"We look forward to collaborating with Boehringer Ingelheim to test this combination in clinical trials," said Joseph Leveque, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. "This collaboration is aligned with the broad and aggressive development strategy we have for MRTX849 and brings the potential for another therapeutic option to patients with KRAS G12C mutations."

"We are excited to partner with Mirati in our ambition to make a difference for people living with KRAS-driven cancers. Combining our SOS1::pan-KRAS inhibitor with the mutation specific G12C inhibitor could be a win-win approach enhancing the response to therapy," said Victoria Zazulina, M.D., Global Medical Head for Oncology at Boehringer Ingelheim. "We have a comprehensive KRAS program including the first SOS1::pan-KRAS inhibitor in the clinic, BI 1701963, for which we are exploring several combinations to optimize its therapeutic benefit in broad patient populations."

Under the terms of the non-exclusive collaboration, Mirati will be the sponsor of the trial and Boehringer Ingelheim and Mirati will jointly share the costs of and oversee clinical development for the combined therapy.