Genentech Bets $650 Million Biobucks on China’s Jemincare’s Prostate Cancer Prospect

In hopes of getting its hands on a more effective prostate cancer candidate, Roche’s Genentech is laying down $60 million upfront for Jemincare’s JMKX00002992, an oral androgen receptor degrader in early-stage development. If all goes well, the Chinese company could make another $590 million in back-end payments subject to development, regulatory, and sales-based milestones.

Taking Another Shot in the Huge Prostate Cancer Market

After struggling in the clinic with its own prostate cancer therapy, ipatasertib, Genentech is looking to Jemincare’s JMKX00002992 to break into the prostate cancer market. Prostate cancer is one of the most prevalent types of cancer in the US, with one in eight men likely to receive the diagnosis in their lifetimes.

Jemincare has not yet released much information on JMKX00002992, but it is clear it is in the early stages of development as the company hopes to take it to the clinic soon. JMKX00002992 is an orally administered androgen receptor degrader, a known driver in prostate cancer. Jemincare said it is developing the drug to be used in patients who have developed a resistance to other therapies, a common occurrence in cancer treatment. 

James Sabry, Global Head of Roche Pharma Partnering, said, “Prostate cancer remains a leading cause of death in men worldwide…Certain forms of prostate cancer can be particularly difficult to treat. Jemincare’s novel oral androgen receptor degrader will complement our efforts to develop new treatment options for patients with advanced prostate cancer.”

The two companies will have their work cut out to prove that JMKX00002992 is as effective as the industry-leading treatment option, Johnson & Johnson’s Erleada, which brought in $1.29 billion in 2021. Jemincare and Genentech will also work against other companies developing androgen receptor degraders targeting prostate cancer like Arvinas’ ARV-110, which it announced positive Phase 2 results for in February this year. 

As part of the deal, Genentech will receive exclusive global licensing rights to develop and commercialize JMKX00002992. Genentech will also be responsible for covering the costs of the development and commercialization of the drug. 

Related Article: Roche Dives Deeper into Off-The-Shelf Cell Therapies in Poseida Partnership

Seeking Partnerships to Accelerate Development

Genentech’s collaboration with Jemincare is only its most recent in a string of partnerships to establish a larger oncology pipeline. Earlier this month, Genentech (through Roche) bet $6 billion on Poseida’s allogeneic cell therapy program. In June, Genentech expanded its partnership with Bicycle Therapeutics for the second time to discover and develop new oncology therapies. 

Jemincare is also engaging in multiple partnerships to accelerate its development programs and spread its operations outside China. Jemincare partnered with Orion Corporation in May to develop a non-opioid pain-relieving treatment option. The deal brought Jemincare €15 million upfront with the option for milestone payments in the future. 

The deal between Jemincare and Genentech will hopefully bring added value to prostate cancer treatments, which could use more alternatives for patients who have developed resistance to other drugs. The androgen receptor degrader sector is an exciting field, and hopefully, some good news will come from the companies as JMKX00002992 makes its way to the clinic. 

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Author

Reed Slater

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