Under the terms of the agreement, Celgene will receive an option to acquire the program up through a clinical inflection point. Nimbus will retain full control of research and development activities for the program prior to the program’s option point. Financial terms will remain undisclosed until Celgene exercises its option to acquire the program.
Hematopoietic Progenitor Kinase 1 (HPK1), a member of the MAP4K family, is an intracellular negative regulator of T cell proliferation and signaling and plays a key role in dendritic cell activation. The challenge with HPK1 thus far has been the ability of small molecules to achieve potency and selectivity profiles that do not inhibit other T cell kinases or MAP4K family members. Given its role in both T cells and dendritic cells, and an opportunity for working synergistically in upregulating immune system surveillance of cancer, HPK1 has been a highly prized target in immuno-oncology. Nimbus will continue to own and develop its potent small molecule HPK1 inhibitors that are highly selective against relevant off targets and possess robust cellular activity.
“We value the innovation that the Nimbus team can bring and we look forward to working together to bring powerful new immunotherapies to patients,” said Robert Hershberg, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Business Development & Global Alliances for Celgene Corporation.
“We are thrilled to expand our collaboration with Celgene and benefit from their capabilities in the development of immunotherapy approaches for cancer patients,” said Jeb Keiper, M.S., MBA, Chief Executive Officer of Nimbus.
