Orionis Biosciences Partners with Genentech to Advance Molecular Glue Therapies for Challenging Cancer Targets

Orionis Biosciences has entered into a strategic partnership with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to discover and develop molecular glue class medicines targeting cancer. This marks the second multi-year collaboration between the two companies, following their initial agreement in September 2023 to identify novel small-molecule medicines for challenging targets in major disease areas, including oncology and neurodegeneration. Orionis’s small-molecule Allo-Glue™ platform is a cutting-edge system designed to advance the discovery and design of molecular glues, particularly those acting through induced proximity. This technology integrates several proprietary tools, including advanced chemical biology techniques, engineered cellular assays, custom-built high-throughput robotic automation, and specialized artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. The platform can generate and analyze hundreds of millions of in-cell protein interactions, enabling rapid and precise optimization of molecular glues for potency, selectivity, and synthetic accessibility. According to the agreement, Orionis will be tasked with discovering and optimizing these molecular glues, while Genentech will handle subsequent preclinical and clinical development, regulatory filings, and commercialization. As part of the deal, Orionis will receive an upfront payment of $105 million and is eligible for additional milestone payments totaling up to $2 billion. Additionally, the company may earn tiered royalties from the sale of any resulting collaboration products. Niko Kley, Co-Founder and CEO of Orionis Biosciences, expressed enthusiasm about the expanded partnership. “We are thrilled to deepen our collaboration with Genentech. This agreement builds on our successful work over the past year and broadens our focus to include monovalent molecular glue types, further leveraging induced proximity concepts,” he stated. Riccardo Sabatini, Orionis’s Chief Data Scientist, highlighted the company’s unique capabilities. “Our integration of advanced cellular sensing technologies, large-scale robotic automation, and specialized AI creates an unparalleled platform for discovering new drug modalities that can rationally reprogram protein networks. This is a pivotal moment in small-molecule drug development,” he added. From Genentech’s perspective, Boris L. Zaïtra, Head of Roche Corporate Business Development, emphasized the potential of molecular glues. “Molecular glues, whether degraders or non-degraders, offer a promising approach to accessing disease-related proteins that have been difficult to target with traditional treatments. Our renewed collaboration with Orionis has the potential to significantly enhance our ability to develop groundbreaking cancer medicines.” About Orionis Biosciences Orionis Biosciences is a clinical-stage life sciences company at the forefront of discovering and designing therapeutic modalities that leverage molecular proximity-based mechanisms to address challenging and traditionally elusive disease targets. The company’s Allo-Glue™ platform facilitates the discovery and design of small molecule glues for induced proximity applications, while its A-Kine™ biologics platform focuses on engineered cytokines with high cell-target selectivity and novel multifunctional immune cell engagers. Orionis is advancing a robust pipeline of oncology programs and cancer immunotherapies, utilizing its disruptive technologies to explore a wide range of disease targets and therapeutic indications. By collaborating with industry leaders like Genentech, the company aims to accelerate the development of innovative treatments that can make a meaningful difference in patient care. For more information, visit www.orionisbio.com.