Partnership agreement to develop small molecule inhibitors of PARG announced

IDEAYA Biosciences has announced that it has entered into a partnership agreement with Cancer Research UK’s (CRUK) Commercial Partnerships Team and the Drug Discovery Unit at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, part of the University of Manchester, UK, to develop small molecule inhibitors of Poly (ADP-ribose) glycohydrolase (PARG).

PARG is a cellular enzyme that breaks down Poly(ADP-ribose), a post-translational modification that modulates protein function required for DNA repair. Inhibition of PARG in cancer cells with highly-active PARP results in depletion of cellular NAD. NAD is an essential cofactor in cellular respiration, and its depletion results in a dramatic decrease in cellular ATP and cancer cell death.

“We are thrilled to be able to partner with one of the leading cancer research institutions in CRUK, who has had a prolific history in the space of DNA repair, including its scientific contributions to PARP biology and its associated biomarker BRCA,” said Yujiro S Hata, chief executive officer of IDEAYA. “We look forward to collaborating with this exceptional organization as we advance novel, small molecule inhibitors of PARG towards the clinic.”

“The Drug Discovery Unit at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute are delighted to be working alongside IDEAYA to further develop our PARG inhibitor program,” said Allan Jordan, head of chemistry in the Drug Discovery Unit. “Stemming from fundamental biological discoveries made in our own Institute, PARG inhibitors offer a new way of compromising the ability of cancer cells to survive and resist treatment.  We believe that these agents will offer a truly novel and clinically meaningful therapy for patients fighting against cancer.”

“This new collaboration with IDEAYA, a leading biotechnology company, will accelerate the translation of discoveries from one of our major drug discovery units,” said Iain Foulkes, PhD, Cancer Research UK’s executive director of research and innovation. “We’re excited to focus our combined expertise on this unique program of research.  This is one of several partnerships in our growing portfolio of projects that we hope will result in vital new treatments for cancer patients.”