Qurient Announces Collaboration Agreement with MSD to Evaluate Selective Triple Inhibitor Q702 in Combination With KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab)

- Q702 is a novel, orally available triple kinase inhibitor that selectively targets Axl, Mer, and CSF1R

- A phase 1 study of Q702 as a monotherapy is currently underway in the U.S. for the treatment of relapsed/refractory advanced solid tumors where standard of care therapies are currently ineffective (NCT04648254)

- The phase 1b/2 study of Q702 and KEYTRUDA is designed to enroll patients with advanced solid tumors, including esophageal, gastric, hepatocellular, and cervical cancers

SEONGNAM-SI, Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Qurient Co. Ltd. (KRX: 115180), a clinical-stage biotech company based in Korea, today announced that the company has entered into a clinical collaboration agreement with MSD, a tradename of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ., USA,, for clinical study of Q702, a triple inhibitor of Axl/Mer/CSF1R) in combination with MSD’s anti-PD-1 therapy KEYTRUDA^® (pembrolizumab).

Under this agreement, Qurient will conduct a phase 1b/2 study in the U.S. and Korea to evaluate safety and efficacy of Q702 and KEYTRUDA in combination for the treatment of selected advanced solid tumors, including esophageal, gastric, hepatocellular, and cervical cancers.

Kiyean Nam, Ph.D., CEO of Qurient, said, “We are pleased to collaborate with MSD to evaluate Q702 in combination with KEYTRUDA for the treatment of esophageal, gastric, hepatocellular, and cervical cancers, where limited immuno-oncology treatment options are currently available. We have previously shown the potential additive benefit of Q702 in combination with anti-PD-1 therapy in preclinical models, so this combination study is designed to evaluate clinical benefit of Q702 and KEYTRUDA for patients.”

Terms of the collaboration were not disclosed.

KEYTRUDA^® is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA.

About Q702

Q702 is an orally available novel Axl/Mer/CSF1R inhibitor and is designed to modulate innate immune components leading to T cell activation. Q702 was also shown to increase antigen presentation in the tumor cells demonstrating dual mode of action. A phase 1/2 clinical trial is currently underway in the U.S. (Clinical Trials.gov Identifier: NCT04648254) to evaluate safety and efficacy of Q702 as a monotherapy treatment for solid cancers.

About Qurient

Qurient, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development of novel therapeutics for oncology and inflammatory diseases from discovery to human proof-of-concept through a virtual R&D project management platform. Qurient’s pipeline includes multiple drug candidates in preclinical to phase 2 clinical development. For more info, please visit www.qurient.com.