Pharma powerhouse Amgen is doubling down on next-generation cancer drug development, announcing it will acquire UK-based Dark Blue Therapeutics in a deal valued at up to $840 million.

 

The privately held biotech brings a first-in-class oncology program focused on small molecule–targeted protein degradation, adding a high-potential investigational asset to Amgen’s pipeline. The lead compound targets and degrades two proteins, MLLT1 and MLLT3, which are key drivers of certain forms of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive and often deadly blood cancer.

 

Preclinical studies in leukemia models show the drug candidate delivers strong anti-cancer activity and works through a mechanism distinct from existing treatments. Amgen said the data support both single-agent use and combination approaches aimed at overcoming treatment resistance and extending remission in patients.

 

"Acute myeloid leukemia remains one of the most difficult cancers to treat, and we see an urgent need for new mechanisms capable of changing the trajectory of this disease," said Jay Bradner, executive vice president of Research and Development at Amgen. 

 

"This acquisition complements and extends our research in targeted protein degradation and leukemia therapeutics, advancing our strategy to invest early in rising medicines for novel therapeutic targets. The adjacency of this program to our considered expertise in cancer biology will propel MLLT1/3-targeting medicines to clinical investigation for patients facing the challenging diagnosis of AML."

 

Following the acquisition, Amgen plans to fold Dark Blue Therapeutics into its existing research organization, strengthening its early-stage oncology discovery engine and accelerating the push toward clinical development.