Pfizer has teamed up with Triana Biomedicines in a new research collaboration aimed at discovering novel molecular glue degraders for multiple diseases, including cancer.
As part of the deal, Pfizer will pay Triana $49 million upfront, with the potential for milestone payments that could surpass $1.5 billion. Pfizer also has the exclusive option to license these targets and take them into further development.
Triana, which specializes in using molecular glues to identify disease targets, will lead the discovery phase. Their platform is designed to find new ways to treat diseases that haven’t responded well to existing therapies, which makes this collaboration particularly promising for Pfizer as it looks to expand its oncology pipeline.
The seemingly sudden surge in interest and research surrounding molecular glue degraders can be traced back to their potent ability to target previously 'undruggable' proteins, a longstanding challenge in the pharma industry.