Israeli drug developer BioLineRx is heading north to help Norwegian biotech Hemispherian develop its lead cancer asset in a new joint venture, the partners announced Sept. 29.
Under the terms of the deal, BioLineRx will manage, fund and perform all development activities for the asset, a small molecule glioblastoma (GBM) candidate called GLIX1, while Hemispherian holds the global rights to the program.
Initially, BioLineRx will hold a 40% ownership stake in the joint venture, but this stake will steadily increase over time to 70% as the biotech invests more in the program, according to the release.
Through the venture, BioLineRx will also get a first look at other assets in Hemispherian’s pipeline, which currently includes three additional preclinical candidates.
"Following a comprehensive review of pipeline expansion opportunities in oncology and rare diseases, we are thrilled to have identified a highly innovative asset such as GLIX1, with the potential to become an effective and safe treatment option for cancer patients with high unmet needs,” BioLineRx CEO Philip Serlin said in the release.
GLIX1 received investigational new drug approval from the FDA in August 2025, the companies said, and has also secured orphan drug designations from both the U.S. regulator and the European Medicines Agency.
BioLineRx and Hemispherian are set to launch a phase 1/2a glioblastoma trial of the asset in the first quarter of 2026, and also plan to explore its potential in other solid tumors.
“GLIX1 is a small molecule that crosses the blood-brain-barrier, has a novel mechanism of action targeting a DNA repair mechanism in cancer cells and has demonstrated impressive efficacy and a favorable safety profile in preclinical models,” Hemispherian CEO Zeno Albisser said in the release. “We are eager to initiate the phase 1/2a study as expeditiously as possible.”
The trial will be led by the Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University. The phase 1 portion will enroll around 30 patients to determine safety and dosing, while the phase 2a expansion will then recruit patients in three cohorts: recurrent GBM, newly diagnosed GBM in combination with standard of care, and in combination with PARP inhibitors for other solid tumors.
Phase 1 data is expected in the first half of 2027.