KSQ Therapeutics Announces Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is Acquiring Multiple Research-Stage Oncology Programs Identified with KSQ’s CRISPRomics® Platform Technology

LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KSQ Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapies to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases using its proprietary, integrated discovery CRISPRomics platform, announced today that Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (“ONO”), has acquired multiple research-stage DNA damage response (DDR) programs identified using KSQ’s CRISPRomics platform technology. All the programs are novel and have the potential to become first-in-class therapies.

“This acquisition of multiple research-stage oncology programs by ONO is further validation of the power of our platform to identify novel oncology targets and develop potential first-in-class programs,” said Qasim Rizvi, Chief Executive Officer of KSQ. "This is an important transaction for KSQ, enabling us to focus on our other programs. We look forward to watching ONO’s progress as they advance these programs toward clinical studies."

“ONO appreciates the ability of KSQ's CRISPRomics platform technology to discover novel therapeutic targets with high selectivity for cancer cells,” said Toichi Takino, Senior Executive Officer / Executive Director, Discovery & Research of ONO. “Through this acquisition agreement, we expect that the programs acquired from KSQ will lead to the creation of innovative medicines that will help treat cancer patients.”

Under the terms of the agreement, ONO will provide KSQ a double-digit million upfront and potential near-term milestone payments with potential long-term value into the triple-digit millions as well as royalties based on net sales.

About KSQ Therapeutics

KSQ Therapeutics is advancing a pipeline of tumor- and immune-focused drug candidates to treat cancer and autoimmune disease across multiple drug modalities, including targeted therapies, adoptive cell therapies, and immunotherapies. KSQ's proprietary CRISPRomics^® discovery engine enables genome-scale, in vivo validated, unbiased drug discovery across broad therapeutic areas. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.ksqtx.com and follow @ksq_tx on Twitter.

About Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., headquartered in Osaka, is an R&D-oriented pharmaceutical company committed to creating innovative medicines in specific areas. Ono focuses its research on oncology, immunology, neurology and specialty research with high medical needs as priority areas for discovery and development of innovative medicines. For further information, please visit the company’s website at https://www.ono-pharma.com/en.