Frontier Medicines Announces Exclusive Licensing Agreement for FMC-220, a First-in-Class Covalent p53 Y220C Activator, with LG Chem, Ltd.
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2:01 AM on Wednesday, April 1
The Associated Press
BOSTON & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 1, 2026--
Frontier Medicines Corporation, a clinical-stage precision medicines company unlocking the proteome to develop small molecule oncology and immunology drugs against previously undruggable disease-causing targets, announced that the Company has granted LG Chem, Ltd. ("LG Chem"), a leading global company headquartered in South Korea that specializes in life sciences as one of its core businesses, an exclusive worldwide license to develop and commercialize FMC-220 outside of Greater China, with Frontier retaining ownership and full control in Greater China. FMC-220 is Frontier’s first-in-class covalent p53 Y220C activator being evaluated for the treatment of solid tumor cancers with TP53 loss-of-function mutations.
“This partnership with LG Chem marks an exciting and pivotal step for Frontier and for the FMC-220 program, underscoring the promise of our proprietary Frontier™ Platform to address historically challenging targets and deliver differentiated, covalent precision therapies,” said Chris Varma, Ph.D., co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Frontier Medicines. “Through this collaboration with LG Chem, the FMC-220 program will continue to advance, progressing toward translating the encouraging preclinical data we have demonstrated to date for FMC-220 into meaningful impact for patients. We are thrilled to partner with LG Chem, whose global development and commercialization expertise will be instrumental in bringing this therapy to patients worldwide.”
FMC-220 covalently binds the mutant cysteine residue introduced by the Y220C substitution in TP53. TP53 Y220C is a common missense mutation found in approximately 1-3% of cancers, particularly prevalent in solid tumors such as lung, breast, ovarian and colorectal cancers. Preclinical data presented at American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2025 showed that FMC-220 delivers unprecedented potency, selective engagement, and durable anti-tumor activity at low doses across a broad range of tumor models, including those harboring co-mutations such as those in KRAS.
Dr. Jeewoong Son, President of LG Chem Life Sciences Company, said, “FMC‑220 is an innovative approach that targets genetic mutations with limited existing treatment options,” adding that the company will “work to validate its potential as a treatment option that could deliver benefits to patients.”
Under the terms of the agreement, LG Chem will be responsible for regulatory filings, global clinical development, and commercialization in the licensed territories, and Frontier retains an option for enhanced financial participation through partial funding of the confirmatory clinical trial. Frontier will receive an upfront payment and is eligible to receive additional clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments, and mid-single-digit to double-digit royalties on net sales.
FMC-220 was discovered using the Frontier™ Platform, integrating chemoproteomics and AI for covalent-based drug discovery. FMC-220 is the second potential first-in-class program to advance from the platform, following FMC-376, a dual ON/OFF KRASG12C inhibitor currently in clinical development.
About Frontier Medicines
Frontier Medicines is a clinical-stage precision medicine company pioneering groundbreaking medicines to transform treatment for genetically defined patient populations, starting with oncology and immunology. Our proprietary chemoproteomics-powered drug discovery engine, the Frontier™ Platform, leverages covalent chemistry and machine learning to unlock difficult-to-drug, disease-causing proteins for drug development. Today, we are advancing a diversified pipeline of wholly owned precision medicines against the most critical drivers of cancer and high-value immunology programs. For more information, please visit www.frontiermeds.com. Follow Frontier on LinkedIn.
About LG Chem, Ltd. and LG Chem Life Sciences
LG Chem is a leading global chemical company with a diversified business portfolio spanning across petrochemicals, advanced materials, and life sciences. LG Chem Life Sciences, the life sciences business division of LG Chem, is dedicated to developing and delivering innovative medicines across a broad range of therapeutic areas. Guided by its mission to transform people’s lives through inspiring science and leading innovation, LG Chem Life Sciences is offering differentiated solutions to its customers. For more information, please visit www.lgchem.com.
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CONTACT: Media Contacts
Frontier Medicines:
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(704) 488-7369
KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA MASSACHUSETTS UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ONCOLOGY HEALTH GENETICS CLINICAL TRIALS PHARMACEUTICAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
SOURCE: Frontier Medicines Corporation
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PUB: 04/01/2026 05:01 AM/DISC: 04/01/2026 05:02 AM
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260331992498/en