Boehringer to access the MXMO platform of Circle Pharma to develop a first-in-class cyclin inhibitor that could inhibit cancer cell growth.

Uncontrolled cell growth is a common feature in most tumor types and is a driving force in the formation of tumors. Genetic alterations like mutations or amplifications in the genes encoding the regulatory machinery of cell division contribute to malignant growth in a significant fraction of all solid tumors. That is why Boehringer Ingelheim is targeting the proteins involved in this process, a promising strategy for new cancer treatments. Current methods targeting cyclin-dependent kinases can be limited by low selectivity and toxicity. Circle has developed a possible solution to these challenges by creating macrocycle therapies that directly inhibit cyclins, the proteins that regulate cell division. The partnership allows Boehringer Ingelheim to leverage the MXMO platform for the development of a different compound to the first-in-class cyclin A/B RxL inhibitor known as CID-078, which is entering clinical trials.