CStone and Kimia Therapeutics partner to take first-in-class DDR-targeting oncology asset into Phase I in China and Australia

What's the deal? CStone Pharmaceuticals and Kimia Therapeutics announced on 4 November 2026 a clinical development collaboration to advance a potential first-in-class oncology asset that targets the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway, a set of cellular repair mechanisms that solid tumours depend on to survive. CStone will lead the Phase I clinical development of the drug candidate in mainland China and Australia, while Kimia supplies the clinical material, scientific guidance and regulatory oversight.

Why it matters: The candidate was discovered by Kimia, a Berkeley, California-based biotech that uses its ATLAS platform — combining nanogram-scale parallel synthesis, direct-to-biology screening and machine learning — to design small-molecule drugs. Under the deal, Kimia will reimburse CStone's clinical development costs, and CStone is eligible for milestone payments plus royalties on global net sales of the asset, giving the Chinese oncology specialist a share of a first-in-class drug's potential commercial value and a framework that could extend to future assets.

The planned Phase I study includes dose-escalation and expansion components in biomarker-selected patient populations, with safety, pharmacokinetics (how the drug moves through the body), pharmacodynamics and early anti-tumour activity as objectives. Kimia is a portfolio company of The Column Group.

Read more: CStone Pharmaceuticals, 4 November 2026 · BioSpace, 4 November 2026