AstraZeneca PLC said on January 13, 2022 that it has signed a collaboration agreement with Scorpion Therapeutics for the development and commercialization of treatments for hard-to-target cancer proteins in oncology. The pharmaceutical giant said Scorpion will receive an upfront cash payment of $75 million, and retain the potential for additional success-based payments and tiered royalties on net sales. The partnership will focus on transcription-factors proteins and combine Scorpion's discovery platform with AstraZeneca's development and commercialization capabilities in precision medicines for cancer treatment.

Transcription-factors proteins control gene expression and can regulate cellular processes such as cell growth and survival, it said. Many have been identified as important targets for new cancer treatments and as disease drivers, but drug treatment was previously considered as not possible using conventional drug discovery approaches, it added.