Bayer Joins Kumquat in $1.3B Race to Target KRAS G12D Mutation in Cancer

Bayer has entered a collaboration with Kumquat Biosciences to develop Kumquat’s investigational KRAS G12D inhibitor for pancreatic, colorectal, and lung cancers. The deal could deliver over $1.3 billion in milestones to Kumquat and bolsters Bayer’s precision oncology portfolio. The KRAS G12D variant is the most prevalent oncogenic KRAS mutation lacking effective targeted therapies. The FDA recently cleared the IND for the inhibitor, with Bayer assuming development and commercialization thereafter. This alliance reflects the accelerating momentum to exploit KRAS mutations, following recent FDA approvals of KRAS G12C-targeted therapies and major acquisitions in the field.