X-Chem, a US-based global company involved in innovative drug discovery services, announced on Tuesday the achievement of a milestone following Relay Therapeutics' initiation of a Phase 3 clinical trial of a drug candidate developed from a compound identified through an X-Chem DNA-encoded chemical library (DEL) screen.

Relay Therapeutics, a US-based company involved in drug discovery, licensed an inhibitor of the oncology target phosphoinositide 3- kinase alpha (Pl3Ka) that was discovered through an X-Chem DEL screen. The inhibitor demonstrated differentiated pharmacology, mutant selectivity, a novel allosteric binding site and served as a starting point for Relay's innovative development of zovegalisib (RLY-2608), currently in a clinical trial. The companies say that the initiation of this Phase 3 trial represents a milestone under their Research Collaboration and License Agreement.

'The unique selectivity and binding site of RLY-2608 are a testament to the power of the X-Chem DEL platform to discover unique chemical matter with differentiated pharmacology,' said X-Chem CEO Karen Lackey. 'We are thrilled that our discovery platforms helped provide a starting point for a potential new treatment for patients with breast cancer. Hats off to the Relay team for having the drive and vision to push this project forward.'