Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Announces Collaboration Milestone with Eli Lilly and Company

Lawrence, KS ––[February 1, 2012] Deciphera Pharmaceuticals today announced that it has received a milestone payment totaling $7 million in its oncology collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company focused on B-RAF kinase inhibitors for the study of potential oncology therapeutics.

The milestone was reached based on progress made in DP-4978 as a potential oncology candidate. Deciphera’s kinase switch pocket program has identified classes of B-RAF inhibitors that potently block cellular activation of the “RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK” kinase signaling pathway prevalent in many cancer cells. DP-4978 is a dual inhibitor of both mutant B-RAF and a related kinase, C-RAF. Both RAF kinases can activate this major cell signaling pathway and cause cancer when inappropriately activated.

“We are pleased with Lilly’s decision to further evaluate DP-4978,” said Deciphera CEO Daniel Flynn. “We look forward to potentially exploring this agent’s activity in providing a durable response for patients diagnosed with certain cancers.”

This milestone marks a significant event for Deciphera’s collaboration with Lilly, which was initiated in October 2008.