Gilead acquires Sprint’s pre-clinical TREX1 cancer programme

Gilead Sciences has struck a deal with Sprint Bioscience to license a pre-clinical oncology programme targeting TREX1. Under the agreement, Gilead will pay an initial fee of US$14 million and up to US$400 million more if the programme meets defined milestones. The deal gives Gilead access to potential first-in-class small-molecule TREX1 inhibitors developed by Sprint.

TREX1 is a DNA exonuclease that degrades DNA fragments in the cell cytoplasm, helping cancer cells avoid detection by the immune system. Scientific studies have shown that inhibiting TREX1 can provoke strong innate immune responses: DNA accumulating in cancer cells triggers the cGAS–STING pathway, resulting in production of type I interferons, recruitment of T cells and natural killer cells, and enhanced tumour-cell killing. Pre-clinical data from Sprint indicate that their TREX1 inhibitors reduce tumour growth and increase immune-cell infiltration in animal models. This strategy may broaden and strengthen the immunotherapy toolbox, especially for tumours that resist existing checkpoint therapies.

For Gilead the deal represents a relatively low-risk way to expand its oncology portfolio after previous leading therapies underdelivered. With TREX1 inhibition Gilead gains a novel immuno-oncology approach that could complement or succeed existing treatments.