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Astex Bags Another Cancer Deal With MSD, This Time For ‘Undruggable’ p53 Target

Gets $35m Upfront

 
• By Ayisha Sharma

The UK-based biotech will license its Pyramid platform to MSD to develop anticancer compounds targeting p53, a key transcription factor dubbed the ‘guardian of the genome’ that has proven highly complex and challenging to drug.  

guardian angel image
TP53 Has Been Described As The Guardian Of The Genome • Source: Shutterstock

Astex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has clinched its third oncology partnership with MSD with a focus on the notoriously difficult p53 transcription factor target for $35m upfront after two prior deals successfully yielded lead compounds.

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