Vividion Therapeutics Acquires Tavros Therapeutics to Expand Functional Genomics Capabilities and Boost Drug Discovery Platform
- Addition of Tavros will greatly expand target space reachable by Vividion
- Acquisition builds on successful collaboration focused on promising drug targets in oncology
San Diego, CA, USA, Berlin, Germany and Durham, NC, USA January 8, 2025 Vividion Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company utilizing novel discovery technologies to unlock high-value, traditionally undruggable targets and develop small molecule precision therapeutics for devastating cancers and immune disorders, today announced the acquisition of Tavros Therapeutics, Inc., a precision oncology platform company. Vividion is a wholly owned and independently operating subsidiary of Bayer AG.
The addition of Tavros greatly expands Vividion’s functional genomics expertise and capabilities, bringing proprietary methods for genomic screening that can identify new target opportunities, as well as support discovery and translational efforts towards known targets. Combining the Tavros platform with Vividion’s chemoproteomics expertise and capabilities will greatly enhance Vividion’s efforts to generate potential best- and first-in-class drug targets across oncology and immunology.
Vividion and Tavros have been working together for the past two years under a strategic collaboration to discover and develop novel precision therapeutics capable of addressing cancer-causing proteins that have eluded traditional small molecule drugs.
“The addition of Tavros will expand and strengthen our chemoproteomics drug screening capabilities and open up a new target space to fuel the growing pipeline of novel therapies across oncology and immunology”, said Aleksandra Rizo, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Vividion. “We have already seen the power of combining Vividion’s platform and compound library with Tavros’s functional genomics capabilities in uncovering druggable vulnerabilities in tumor cells. We are excited to take this next step to unlock the full potential of our work together for the patients in need.”
“The acquisition of Tavros is an exciting next step as we seek to accelerate the development of previously undruggable targets to improve outcomes for patients with significant high unmet medical needs”, said Juergen Eckhardt, M.D., Head of Business Development and Licensing at Bayer’s Pharmaceuticals Division. “It is also the first acquisition in the history of Bayer Pharmaceuticals for one of our ‘arms-length’ model companies, demonstrating the flexible operating model while Vividion continues to operate autonomously to drive breakthrough innovations in precision oncology and immunology.”
“We are thrilled for the opportunity to combine forces with Vividion. We have enjoyed a highly productive partnership over the past two years and have seen the clear synergy between our platforms”, said Eoin McDonnell, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Tavros. “We look forward to building on our success to date to develop novel small molecule therapeutics against elusive protein targets and maximize our ability to bring new treatment options to patients.”
Financial terms are not disclosed.
About Tavros Therapeutics, Inc.
Tavros Therapeutics is a precision oncology platform company that leverages next-generation functional and computational genomics technology to uncover unique vulnerabilities within tumors to discover novel targets and biomarkers in areas of high unmet clinical need. Modular, scalable and fast, the company’s next generation, bi-directional synthetic lethality platform can precisely and directly identify the paired genetic interactions that form the basis for breakthrough targets and first-in-class cancer drugs. Cutting edge functional genomics and computational analysis accelerates the discovery of de-risked, druggable targets to improve patient outcomes, minimizing toxicity, and quickening development in defined patient subsets. Strategic partnerships with Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, OpenBench, Inc., and Vividion Therapeutics, a wholly owned and independently operated subsidiary of Bayer AG, have validated the platform and expanded the company’s clinical impact. Tavros is also leveraging its proprietary platform and map of useful synthetic lethal relationships to build a highly innovative pipeline of category-defining small-molecule drug candidates. Based in Durham, N.C., management is comprised of successful serial entrepreneurs with deep expertise in functional genomics, tumor genetics, and drug discovery. To learn more, visit www.tavrostx.com.
About Vividion
Vividion Therapeutics, Inc., a wholly owned and independently operated subsidiary of Bayer AG, is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company utilizing novel discovery technologies to unlock high value, traditionally undruggable targets with precision therapeutics for devastating cancers and immune disorders. The company’s platform has enabled it to identify hundreds of previously unknown functional pockets on well-validated protein targets implicated in a wide range of diseases, while simultaneously identifying compounds from its proprietary covalent chemistry library that interact in a highly selective manner with those pockets. The company is leveraging its proprietary chemoproteomic platform to advance a diversified pipeline of highly selective small molecule therapeutics targeting high value, traditionally undruggable targets in oncology and immunology. For more information, please visit www.vividion.com.
About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. In line with its mission, “Health for all, Hunger for none,” the company’s products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2023, the Group employed around 100,000 people and had sales of 47.6 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 5.8 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.
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