Bayer brings WRN blocker fully in-house after Roche handover

Bayer’s (BAYN: DE) US-based subsidiary Vividion Therapeutics has taken over full development and commercialization rights for VVD-214, a clinical-stage Werner helicase (WRN) inhibitor originally discovered under a research collaboration with Roche (ROG: SIX).

The move follows encouraging early data from a Phase I trial presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting in April. The study is evaluating VVD-214 both as a standalone treatment and in combination with Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for certain patients.
The therapy is thought to have potential in colorectal, endometrial, ovarian and gastric cancers—types that often resist current immunotherapies.

In a statement, Vividion chief executive Aleksandra Rizo said the candidate’s inclusion in the company’s portfolio was “an incredibly exciting moment,” adding that the team was “eager to progress development of this compound, building on the encouraging clinical data we’ve seen to date.”