Servier Acquires Black Diamond's Solid Tumor Candidate in $780M Deal

French pharmaceutical company Servier has secured a global license for Black Diamond Therapeutics' deprioritized solid tumor candidate BDTX-4933, marking a significant development in the oncology drug pipeline. The deal, announced on March 19, 2025, involves an upfront payment of $70 million and potential milestone payments of up to $710 million, plus royalties.

Strategic Shift for Black Diamond

Black Diamond Therapeutics, a biotech firm specializing in precision oncology, made the decision to deprioritize BDTX-4933 in October 2024. The company concluded that pursuing two cancer drugs simultaneously was stretching its resources too thin. This strategic pivot led to the search for a partner to continue the development of the RAF inhibitor.

The agreement with Servier comes as a welcome development for Black Diamond, which had initiated a phase 1 trial for BDTX-4933 in 2023. The study, which focused on patients with KRAS, BRAF, and select RAS/MAPK mutation-positive cancers, was halted in October 2024 as part of the company's reprioritization efforts.

Servier's Oncology Pipeline Expansion

For Servier, the acquisition of BDTX-4933 represents a significant addition to its oncology portfolio. The company, which allocates nearly 70% of its R&D spending to oncology, views BDTX-4933 as a potential best-in-class targeted therapy for solid tumors with RAS and RAF alterations.

The drug is designed to address a specific unmet need in oncology: a highly CNS-penetrant RAF inhibitor capable of targeting a broad spectrum of oncogenic conformations. This unique profile could potentially set BDTX-4933 apart in the competitive landscape of cancer therapeutics.

Clinical Development Plans

Servier is poised to restart and expand the clinical development of BDTX-4933 across multiple indications, with a particular focus on non-small cell lung cancer. The immediate plans include determining the preliminary recommended phase 2 dose and generating early evidence of safety, tolerability, and efficacy in patients with cancers harboring BRAF, CRAF, or NRAS mutations.

This acquisition bolsters Servier's already substantial oncology pipeline, which previously included 16 solid tumor and blood cancer projects in clinical development. The addition of BDTX-4933 further solidifies the company's commitment to advancing innovative cancer therapies and addressing critical needs in targeted oncology treatments.