Amgen is getting down with Disco Pharmaceuticals, commissioning the German outfit to work on cancer therapies focused on a target the biotech has already identified.
Cologne-based Disco has developed a surfaceome mapping platform that can identify the proteins found across the surface of cancer cells, expanding the potential targets for mono- and bispecific antibodies. One of the targets the platform has already mapped has caught the attention of Amgen, which struck a deal for exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the resulting programs.
The companies' release didn’t drill into the details of the deal, beyond confirming that Disco will be eligible for up to $618 million as well as a slice of the royalties should a drug make it to market.
“This agreement demonstrates the potential of our surfaceome mapping platform technology to uncover cancer cell surface targets with meaningful clinical potential,” Disco’s CEO Mark Manfredi, Ph.D., said in the Jan. 7 release.
“The collaboration with Amgen enables us to potentially translate these biological insights into innovative therapies and accelerate our shared goal of delivering better outcomes for patients,” Manfredi added.
While antibodies continue to attract Big Pharma’s attention, the space has been held back by the shallow pool of cancer-selective cell surface targets.
This is where Disco—formed in 2022 as a spinout from work at Switzerland’s ETH Zürich research university—spied an opportunity. The company is combining cell-surface proteomics with advanced protein community mapping to identify previously inaccessible target pairs and surface-bound protein communities.
These discoveries have been used to develop highly specific, surfaceome-directed therapies such as bispecific antibody-drug conjugates and T-cell engagers. The company’s internal pipeline is focused on small cell lung cancer and colorectal cancer.
For Amgen, the dance with Disco comes just a day after the U.S. pharma boosted its oncology portfolio via the acquisition of cancer-focused Dark Blue Therapeutics in an $840 million deal.