Syndax Pharma Inks Key Agreement With National Cancer Institute

By Chris Lange Updated Jan 12, 4:45PM EST · Published Dec 14, 3:11PM EST

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Syndax Pharma Inks Key Agreement With National Cancer Institute — © Thinkstock

Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNDX) is watching its shares make a handy gain on Wednesday after the firm reported a key agreement. Essentially, the company announced that it has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

As part of the CRADA, Syndax will collaborate with the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology at the NCI to evaluate the therapeutic benefit of entinostat in development for the treatment for multiple cancers, and SNDX-6352 in the development as a treatment of neoplastic diseases.

The terms of the CRADA allow for in vitro and in vivo testing of entinostat and SNDX-6352 as single agents and as combination therapies for the treatment of cancer. Based on the results of these studies, the NCI and Syndax may also conduct clinical studies with entinostat and SNDX-6352 alone or in combination with each other.

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Additionally, entinostat and SNDX-6352 may be combined with other therapeutic regimens such as chemotherapy, small molecule targeted therapeutics, monocolonal antibodies, radiation, immunotherapy-enhancing molecules including checkpoint inhibitors, cancer vaccines and NK cell-based approaches.

Briggs W. Morrison, M.D., CEO of Syndax, commented:

We are excited by this collaboration with the NCI’s Center for Cancer Research, as it will allow us to leverage the expertise of Dr. Schlom and his team to enhance our ongoing efforts to identify the most promising potential applications of entinostat and SNDX-6352. In preclinical models, entinostat inhibits regulatory T cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, while SNDX-6352 down regulates tumor promoting macrophages. In turn, this leads to the targeting of what are believed to be some of the most critical pathways by which tumors mediate immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment. We look forward to sharing our progress on this important collaborative research and to further partner with the NCI.

Shares of Syndax were last trading up 7% at $8.15, with a consensus analyst price target of $25.80 and a 52-week trading range of $7.36 to $18.03.

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About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.