ORIC Pharmaceuticals Partnered to Advance ORIC-259
The company has teamed up with Cancer Research UK to fund and conduct clinical trials for its cancer drug candidate.
Updated on Oct. 5, 2026 in Cancer
Live Poll
Do you support pharmaceutical companies partnering with non-profit organizations to speed up the development of drugs?
ORIC Pharmaceuticals has signed a development agreement with Cancer Research UK to advance its small molecule degrader, ORIC-259. Cancer Research UK will oversee the funding, design, and execution of clinical studies for the treatment.
Why it matters
The collaboration aims to accelerate the development of a drug designed to target CIP2A, a protein that plays a key role in cancer progression. By leveraging clinical expertise, the partnership seeks to bring the treatment into early-phase human trials.
The Centre for Drug Development has completed 170 clinical trials over its 30-year history of pioneering cancer treatment development. The new program targets CIP2A protein loss by modifying mRNA splicing to incorporate a premature stop codon.
The players
ORIC Pharmaceuticals
This biotechnology company is based in South San Francisco and San Diego and focuses on discovering treatments for cancer.
Cancer Research UK
This is a major research organization based in the United Kingdom that funds clinical trials and scientific study.
The details
ORIC-259 is an orally bioavailable small molecule degrader designed to treat cancers characterized by homologous recombination deficiency. Under the terms of the agreement, ORIC retains an exclusive option to reacquire rights to the drug candidate following the completion of Phase 1/2 clinical data.
Timeline
October 5, 2026: ORIC Pharmaceuticals announced the partnership agreement.
The Big Picture
This partnership follows the strategic model established by the Centre for Drug Development to expedite early-stage oncology research.
This development could eventually provide a new treatment option for patients diagnosed with cancers involving homologous recombination deficiency. The trial process will determine the drug's safety and efficacy profile in humans before it can be considered for wider clinical use.
The takeaway
Advancing novel small molecule degraders requires rigorous clinical testing to prove safety and therapeutic efficacy in humans. This collaboration demonstrates how pharmaceutical firms leverage established research organizations to navigate the complexities of drug development.
Further reading
For more information on the current landscape of oncology research, visit the Cancer section.
Live Poll
Do you support pharmaceutical companies partnering with non-profit organizations to speed up the development of drugs?
