EPALINGES, Switzerland – October 27, 2025 – Onward Therapeutics SA, a clinical-stage oncology company, announced today that its French subsidiary, Onward Therapeutics France, has exercised its⁣ exclusive option and entered into a worldwide licence⁢ agreement with the Institut du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), France, to advance a novel program in onco-metabolism.⁣ This ⁤agreement signifies a major step forward in the company’s efforts to develop innovative cancer treatments.

background: Collaboration and Option ⁢Agreement

This license⁤ agreement is a direct result of an exclusive collaboration and option agreement initially signed in June 2021​ between Onward Therapeutics France and ICM, Inserm, and Université de Montpellier. ⁢ Under the ‍terms of the initial agreement, Onward ⁢Therapeutics France provided research funding to ICM to support the discovery program. ‌ The success of this⁣ collaborative research has led to the identification of⁢ promising compounds and the integration of⁤ the program⁢ into⁢ Onward Therapeutics’ development pipeline.

OT-S00X: A Novel Approach to Onco-metabolism

The licensed program, designated OT-S00X, ‌represents a important​ advancement ⁤in ‍targeting ⁣tumor onco-metabolism.​ onco-metabolism focuses on ⁢the unique metabolic⁢ pathways utilized by cancer cells, offering a potential avenue for selective targeting and treatment. Proof-of-principle studies have demonstrated robust preclinical⁣ efficacy, and two distinct chemical series have yielded promising candidates. ​⁢ further refinement of these compounds will leverage artificial intelligence⁣ (AI) to‌ optimize ‌their physico-chemical properties.

The use of AI in drug discovery is ‍becoming increasingly prevalent. According ‌to a recent report by Grand⁣ View Research, the global AI ‌in drug discovery market is projected to reach $8.3 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 26.8% from⁣ 2023. This growth is driven by the potential of AI to accelerate drug development, reduce costs, and improve success rates.

Predictive⁤ Biomarker and Clinical Potential

A ⁢key differentiator for OT-S00X is the strong correlation observed between compound efficacy and a predictive biomarker of response across ‌multiple tumor‍ types. This suggests the potential for patient stratification, ‍allowing clinicians to identify individuals most likely‌ to benefit from the treatment.This personalized medicine approach ​is gaining traction in oncology, as highlighted by⁣ the FDA’s increasing ⁣approval of⁢ biomarker-driven therapies.

Timeline and Next Steps

The program is currently in the lead optimization phase. Onward ‍Therapeutics ‍aims ⁣to nominate IND (Investigational New Drug)-enabling candidates by