HiDiamond and Nerviano Medical Sciences Enter Collaboration and License Agreement for NMS-173, a Potential Best-in-Class Covalent Dual mIDH1/2 Inhibitor
HiDiamond and Nerviano Medical Sciences Enter Collaboration and License Agreement for NMS-173, a Potential Best-in-Class Covalent Dual mIDH1/2 Inhibitor
● HiDiamond will advance the clinical development of NMS-173 in Phase 1/2, in collaboration with NMS through a Joint Development Committee (JDC).
● This framework combines NMS’s scientific and development expertise with HiDiamond’s clinical development capabilities to accelerate the global development of NMS-173.
● The companies will work together to maximize the asset’s value for future global out-licensing, with indication strategy — including consideration of IDH-mutant cholangiocarcinoma, an area of high unmet medical need — to be defined jointly through the Development Plan.
Milan, Italy and Taicang, China — September 9, 2026 — Nerviano Medical Sciences S.r.l. (“NMS”), a global oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company, and HiDiamond Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (“HiDiamond”), a specialist in innovative NCEs therapeutics, today announced a collaboration and license agreement for NMS-173.
NMS-173 is a highly potent, second-generation dual inhibitor of mutant Isocitrate Dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (mIDH1/2). Unlike first-generation reversible inhibitors, NMS-173 utilizes a covalent mechanism of action designed to achieve sustained target inhibition and potentially address resistance mechanisms associated with existing reversible inhibitors.
Strategic Alliance Structure
Under the agreement, HiDiamond is responsible for advancing and funding the clinical development of NMS-173, including related regulatory activities, while NMS and HiDiamond jointly define the development strategy through an equally represented Joint Development Committee (JDC). This framework is structured for value creation, combining NMS’s scientific and development expertise with HiDiamond’s clinical development capabilities to accelerate the asset through Phase 1/2 and into proof-of-concept studies.
The companies have established a stage-based proceeds-sharing framework to align long-term interests. Upon the future out-licensing of NMS-173 to a third-party global partner, NMS and HiDiamond will share the resulting proceeds — including upfront, milestone and royalty payments — pursuant to this agreed framework.
“NMS-173 is a highly differentiated molecule with the potential to advance the IDH inhibitor class through its covalent dual IDH1/2 mechanism,” said Hugues Dolgos, Pharm.D., CEO of NMS. “This collaboration allows us to jointly advance and de-risk the asset ahead of a future global partnering opportunity.”
“We are honored to work with the NMS team in Milan to bring this sophisticated molecule into broader clinical application,” said Ying Shao, Ph.D., CEO of HiDiamond Biotechnology. “This proceeds-sharing model aligns our interests around generating compelling clinical data and demonstrating NMS-173’s differentiated profile, ensuring both teams are focused on a single objective: advancing a highly differentiated therapy that is attractive to global pharmaceutical partners.”
About NMS-173
NMS-173 is an orally available, small molecule dual inhibitor of mIDH1 and mIDH2. It is currently ready to enter First-in-Human clinical development. By targeting the mutations directly through a covalent bond, NMS-173 is designed to suppress production of the oncometabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG). Its dual inhibition mechanism is intended to address both IDH1- and IDH2-mutant tumors, including IDH-mutant cholangiocarcinoma, an area of high unmet medical need, with the overall indication strategy to be defined through the Development Plan.
About NMS
NMS is a global, integrated biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative oncology therapies. With affiliates in Nerviano/Corsico (Italy), Boston (USA), and Shanghai (China), NMS leverages deep expertise in drug discovery and translational medicine to advance its pipeline of novel candidates from bench to bedside.
About HiDiamond Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
Based in Taicang, China, HiDiamond Biotechnology is dedicated to the discovery and development of innovative therapeutics. The company focuses on high-value oncology targets and leverages an agile development model to accelerate Chinese-originated innovations for the global market.
