Contour Therapeutics Brings Together Leaders with Extensive Cardiovascular, Genetics and Drug Development Expertise
Partnership Focused on Delivering Targeted Therapies for Genetically Defined Cardiovascular Diseases
PALO ALTO, Calif. and SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Dec. 07, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: BBIO) and Maze Therapeutics today announced the establishment of a joint venture, Contour Therapeutics, focused on transforming and advancing breakthrough precision medicine approaches designed to treat cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide.
This joint venture between two leading biotech companies unites Maze’s genetically driven approach to drug discovery, as well as insights from its COMPASS platform, with BridgeBio’s expertise in cardiac drug discovery and clinical development. Together, the companies will focus on advancing genetically validated therapeutic candidates through clinical development and will initially work on the development of a treatment for patients with an undisclosed, genetically defined form of heart failure.
The new partnership builds on exciting progress underway to identify and target genetic causes of cardiovascular diseases, including BridgeBio’s precision medicine approach at its affiliate Eidos Therapeutics designed to treat transthyretin amyloidosis, an underdiagnosed and life-threatening cause of heart failure. The partnership also builds on seminal advances in the treatment of inherited cardiomyopathies, including at MyoKardia, a company co-founded by senior leaders at BridgeBio and Maze.
“Cardiovascular disease is a deadly and widespread health problem across the world, but unfortunately, innovations in new treatment approaches have been limited,” said Jason Coloma, Ph.D., CEO of Maze. “Since we launched Maze, we have been focused on the advancement of our COMPASS platform, on which we’ve made important progress and gained confidence in the genetics we are focused on, as well as novel insights into how to best develop therapies for patients with cardiovascular disease. We are excited to join forces with BridgeBio, combining the unique talents and expertise across our respective teams, in order to deliver a profound impact on how these diseases are treated in the future.”
“We are privileged to be partnering with and learning from Maze. We are eager to build on BridgeBio’s work in precision medicine to treat cardiovascular disease, and we believe our joint venture with Maze holds great promise for patients as we bring together innovative leaders in cardiology and genetics,” said Neil Kumar, Ph.D., founder and CEO of BridgeBio. “The identification and targeting of genetically defined patient populations has created elegant and clinically meaningful medicines in oncology and other therapeutic areas. We feel strongly that one of the next frontiers in precision medicine lies in helping people suffering from cardiovascular disease, and we are excited to be on the front lines of advances in this field.”
“This partnership between Maze and BridgeBio will bring together many of the people who helped found and build revolutionary companies in cardiovascular drug development,” said Charles Homcy, M.D., chairman of the Maze board of directors and lead director and chairman of pharmaceuticals of BridgeBio. “With the combined expertise of these teams, we have an opportunity to create something special that has a profound impact on how patients with cardiovascular disease are treated in the future.”
About the Maze COMPASS Platform
The Maze COMPASS platform combines human genetics, functional genomics and data science to identify and prioritize drug targets for both rare and common diseases, validate drug targets and inform target tractability and clinical development. Maze aims to leverage COMPASS to translate a wealth of genetic opportunities generated by the platform into new therapeutics.
About Maze Therapeutics
Maze Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company developing a broad portfolio of therapeutic candidates for a number of genetically defined diseases. Maze is focused on translating genetic insights into new medicines by utilizing an approach that combines the analysis of large-scale human genetics data, cutting-edge functional genomics and an array of drug discovery approaches. The Maze COMPASS platform reveals modifier genes that confer protection and provides deeper understanding of the target biology and how these targets can be best targeted with drug therapies. Maze was launched in 2019 by Third Rock Ventures, with funding from ARCH Venture Partners, GV, Foresite Capital, Casdin Capital, Alexandria Venture Investments, City Hill and other undisclosed investors. Maze is based in South San Francisco. For more information, please visit mazetx.com.
About BridgeBio Pharma, Inc.
BridgeBio is a team of experienced drug discoverers, developers and innovators working to create life-altering medicines that target well-characterized genetic diseases at their source. BridgeBio was founded in 2015 to identify and advance transformative medicines to treat patients who suffer from Mendelian diseases, which are diseases that arise from defects in a single gene, and cancers with clear genetic drivers. BridgeBio’s pipeline of over 20 development programs includes product candidates ranging from early discovery to late-stage development. For more information visit www.bridgebio.com.
BridgeBio Pharma Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Statements we make in this press release may include statements that are not historical facts and are considered forward-looking within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), which are usually identified by the use of words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “projects,” “seeks,” “should,” “will,” and variations of such words or similar expressions. We intend these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act and are making this statement for purposes of complying with those safe harbor provisions. These forward-looking statements, including statements relating to Contour Therapeutics’ focus on transforming and advancing breakthrough precision medicine approaches designed to treat cardiovascular disease, the joint venture’s focus on advancing genetically validated therapeutic candidates through clinical development and its initial work on the development of a treatment for patients with an undisclosed genetically defined form of heart failure, the partnership’s ability to identify and target genetic causes of cardiovascular diseases and build on seminal advances in the treatment of inherited cardiomyopathies, the success of and potential synergies from the joint venture between Maze and BridgeBio, Contour Therapeutics’ development plans, competitive environment and clinical and therapeutic potential of therapies for patients with cardiovascular disease, reflect our current views about our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects, which are based on the information currently available to us and on assumptions we have made. Although we believe that our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects as reflected in or suggested by those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that the plans, intentions, expectations or strategies will be attained or achieved. Furthermore, actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements and will be affected by a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including, but not limited to, Contour Therapeutics’ ability to focus on transforming and advancing breakthrough precision medicine approaches designed to treat cardiovascular disease, the timing and success of advancing genetically validated therapeutic candidates through clinical development and any such continued clinical development and planned regulatory submissions, and the success and potential synergies of the joint venture between Maze and BridgeBio, as well as those risks set forth in the Risk Factors section of BridgeBio Pharma’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and BridgeBio Pharma’s other SEC filings. Moreover, BridgeBio Pharma operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment in which new risks emerge from time to time. Except as required by applicable law, we assume no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Media Contacts
Maze:
Katie Engleman, 1AB
katie@1abmedia.com
BridgeBio Pharma:
Grace Rauh
917-232-5478
grace.rauh@bridgebio.com
