Blueprint clears the house in EGFR
Having not long ago pioneered the search for fourth-generation EGFR inhibitors to improve on the efficacy of AstraZeneca’s lung cancer blockbuster Tagrisso, Blueprint yesterday abandoned this field. The group’s JP Morgan healthcare conference update brought news that BLU-945, its most advanced asset in the phase 1/2 Symphony study, was being “de-prioritised”, along with the EGFR exon 20 insertion inhibitor BLU-451. The latter is especially surprising, since Blueprint had paid $250m to acquire this asset’s maker, Lengo Therapeutucs, in November 2021. The decision follows the earlier discontinuation of BLU-701, and moves by Black Diamond and Bridge Biotherapeutics to can earlier work and turn to more promising EGFR inhibitors, namely BDTX-1535 and BBT-207. Another player still in fourth-generation EGFR inhibition is Theseus, with THE-349, though that company is now being taken private in a sale to Concentra Biosciences. In November 2022 Blueprint decided to prioritise development of the preclinical fourth-generation EGFR inhibitor BLU-525, but now this too has disappeared from its pipeline. Instead Blueprint’s solid tumour focus is now on CDK2 inhibition, including with an unnamed degrader project.
Blueprint’s EGFR clearout
Project | Mechanism | Highest status reached | Current status |
---|---|---|---|
BLU-451 | EGFR exon 20ins inhibitor | Ph1/2 Concerto trial; acquired in $250m purchase of Lengo in Nov 2021 | Discontinued in Jan 2024, possible licensing opportunity |
BLU-945 | 4th-gen EGFR inhibitor | Ph1/2 Symphony trial, Tagrisso combo in Tagrisso-relapsed patients | Discontinued in Jan 2024, possible licensing opportunity |
BLU-525 | 4th-gen EGFR inhibitor | Preclinical, prioritised in Nov 2022 | No longer appears in pipeline |
BLU-701 | 4th-gen EGFR inhibitor | Ph1 Harmony trial, +/- Tagrisso | Discontinued in Nov 2022 in favour of BLU-525 |
Source: company statements.
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