Xynomic Pharma, a US-China oncology startup, entered a strategic partnership with the University of California San Francisco to conduct a Phase II/III clinical trial of its lead drug, abexinostat.

Abexinostat is an HDAC inhibitor that is designed to overcome chemotherapy resistance, and Xynomic expects it will prove to be best-in-class.

The company in-licensed global rights to abexinostat from AbbVie three months ago. Headquartered in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Xynomic also has operations in China.

The study, to be led by UCSF's Pamela Munster, MD, and Rahul Aggarwal, MD, will leverage encouraging clinical data from a recently completed Phase 1b study, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and conducted by UCSF.

A potentially best-in-class HDAC inhibitor, Abexinostat has already been tested in 17 Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials worldwide. Xynomic's pipeline also includes Avasimibe, a first-in-class ACAT-1 inhibitor treating prostate and pancreatic cancers.