Amplia Enters into Second Agreement with Korean Specialist Drug Screening Company Next&Bio to Explore Combination Therapy with FAK Inhibitor and kRAS Inhibitors

Rhea-AI Summary

Amplia Therapeutics (OTCQB:INNMF / ASX:ATX) entered a second-phase preclinical collaboration with Korean drug‑screening company Next & Bio on Dec 19, 2025 to test combination therapy of Amplia’s FAK inhibitor narmafotinib with experimental kRAS inhibitors.

The work uses patient‑derived pancreatic cancer cell models that replicate the tumour environment; initial tests showed promising narmafotinib activity and will be presented at an upcoming scientific conference. The new phase will evaluate potential synergy between FAK and kRAS inhibition and is positioned to support future partnering and commercial opportunities.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The preclinical research collaboration with specialist drug screening company Next & Bio has been extended
  
  
• The collaboration explores the effect of Amplia’s FAK inhibitors in combination with experimental drugs called kRas inhibitors
  
  
• kRas inhibitors are being developed for the treatment of pancreatic cancer and other solid tumours

Melbourne, Australia, Dec. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amplia Therapeutics Limited (ASX:ATX; OTCQB:INNMF), (“Amplia” or the “Company”), is pleased to announce that it has entered into the second phase of a research collaboration with Korean preclinical drug screening company Next & Bio. This follows a successful initial engagement that demonstrated the powerful capability of the Next & Bio technology as well as promising preliminary data from the study.

The collaboration has been investigating the ability of Amplia’s FAK inhibitors to suppress the growth of patient-derived pancreatic cancer cells that possess genetic mutations in the kRAS gene known to be present in >90% of pancreatic cancers. Amplia’s best-in-class FAK inhibitor narmafotinib showed promising activity in these initial tests and this data will be presented at a forthcoming scientific conference.

Building on these promising data, further studies investigating the activity of a combination of narmafotinib with known inhibitors of the mutant kRAS gene will now be undertaken. kRAS inhibitors are an exciting new class of drug in development for a range of cancers including pancreatic cancer, and there is strong scientific rationale for a combination of FAK and kRAS inhibition to provide improved responses.

Next & Bio, a subsidiary of Hk Kolmar Holdings in Seoul, Korea, offers advanced drug screening by testing treatments on cancer cells taken directly from patients. The company has developed these patient-derived cell models specifically for pancreatic cancer. Importantly, these cells are grown to closely replicate the tumour environment for more accurate and predictive results.

Amplia’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Dr Chris Burns, commented, “The initial phase of our collaboration successfully demonstrated the activity of Amplia’s FAK inhibitors on patient-derived pancreatic cancer cells. Building on these promising results, we are eager to further investigate the potential synergy between narmafotinib and kRas inhibitors. This next phase of the collaboration is expected to strategically position Amplia for expanded partnering opportunities and commercial growth.”

Next and Bio’s Chief Executive Officer Mr SangWook Park, stated, “We are delighted to build on the success of our initial collaboration and to advance into a second phase of partnership with Amplia Therapeutics. In this collaboration, Next & Bio will leverage its preclinical research platform to investigate synergistic effects with kRAS inhibitors, with the ultimate goal of delivering new therapeutic options for pancreatic cancer patients with high unmet medical needs.”

This ASX announcement was approved and authorised for release by the Board of Amplia Therapeutics.

About Amplia Therapeutics Limited

Amplia Therapeutics Limited is an Australian pharmaceutical company advancing a pipeline of Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) inhibitors for cancer and fibrosis. FAK is an increasingly important target in the field of cancer and Amplia has a particular development focus in fibrotic cancers such as pancreatic and ovarian cancer. FAK also plays a significant role in a number of chronic diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). For more information visit www.ampliatx.com and follow Amplia on X (@ampliatx) and LinkedIn.

About Narmafotinib

Narmafotinib (AMP945) is the company’s best-in-class inhibitor of the protein FAK, a protein over-expressed in pancreatic cancer and a drug target gaining increasing attention for its role in solid tumors. The drug, which is a highly potent and selective inhibitor of FAK, has shown promising data in a range of preclinical cancer studies. Narmafotinib is currently undergoing a clinical trial (the ACCENT trial) where it is dosed in combination with the chemotherapies gemcitabine and Abraxane in first-line patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. The trial has already achieved its primary endpoint in achieving a confirmed response rate of 35%, superior to 23% reported in the benchmark MPACT study for gemcitabine and Abraxane alone. An interim median PFS of 7.6 months has also been reported. A second trial – AMPLICITY – has recently opened and is being run under an IND at sites in Australia and the US, investigating the combination of narmafotinib with the chemotherapy FOLFIRINOX in advanced pancreatic cancer patients.

Investor Contact:
Dr Chris Burns
Chief Executive Officer
chris@ampliatx.com 

U.S. Contact:
Robert Giordano
rjgiordano@ggrouplifesciences.com 
+1 917 327 3938

Media Contact:
H^CK Director, Haley Chartres
haley@hck.digital 
+61 423 139 163

U.S. Media:
media@ampliatx.com

FAQ

What did Amplia (INNMF) announce on December 19, 2025 about narmafotinib?

Amplia announced a second‑phase preclinical collaboration with Next & Bio to test narmafotinib combined with experimental kRAS inhibitors in patient‑derived pancreatic cancer cell models.

How will the Amplia and Next & Bio study use patient‑derived models for INNMF research?

Next & Bio will test combinations on cancer cells taken directly from patients that are grown to closely replicate the tumour environment for more predictive preclinical results.

Does the INNMF announcement include clinical trial results or regulatory approvals?

No; the announcement reports preclinical collaboration results and planned combination studies but does not include clinical data or regulatory approvals.

When will Amplia (INNMF) present the preliminary narmafotinib data at a scientific conference?

The company said the preliminary data will be presented at a forthcoming scientific conference, with no specific date provided in the announcement.

What is the strategic significance of the INNMF collaboration with Next & Bio?

Amplia said the next phase aims to evaluate synergy with kRAS inhibitors and to position the company for expanded partnering and commercial growth.

Which cancers are targeted by the kRAS inhibitor combinations described by INNMF?

The collaboration focuses on pancreatic cancer and other solid tumours that harbour mutant kRAS, which is known to be prevalent in over 90% of pancreatic cancers.