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GSK Acquires IDRx for $1 Billion to Advance Precision Therapy for GIST

NextEdge Admin

14 Jan 2025

2 min 21 sec

GSK plc has announced the acquisition of IDRx, Inc., a Boston-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing precision therapeutics for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). Under the agreement, GSK will pay $1 billion upfront, with an additional $150 million contingent on regulatory milestones. The acquisition includes IDRX-42, a highly selective KIT tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) being developed for first- and second-line GIST treatment.

GIST primarily affects the GI tract, with 80% of cases driven by KIT mutations that promote tumor growth. While first-line TKIs offer initial control, 90% of patients develop secondary KIT mutations leading to relapse. No currently approved TKIs effectively inhibit all clinically relevant primary and secondary KIT mutations.

IDRX-42 has demonstrated broad activity against KIT mutations, with high selectivity that may improve tolerability, positioning it as a potential best-in-class therapy. Early clinical data from the ongoing phase I/Ib StrateGIST 1 trial showed promising efficacy, with an objective response rate (ORR) of 29% (n=87) in advanced GIST and 53% (n=15) in second-line patients. Treatment was generally well-tolerated, with mostly low-grade adverse events.

GSK’s Chief Scientific Officer, Tony Wood, highlighted IDRX-42’s potential to fill a major gap in GIST treatment. IDRx CEO Tim Clackson emphasized GSK’s global expertise in GI cancers as key to accelerating IDRX-42’s development. The acquisition aligns with GSK’s oncology strategy, complementing its existing pipeline, including dostarlimab and B7-H3-targeted antibody-drug conjugate GSK5764227, as it aims for sustained growth through 2031 and beyond.