Myc-associated factor X (MAX), the protein that forms dimers with Myc, could hold the key to blocking one of the most intractable oncogenes. Scientists at the University of Chicago have designed a synthetic molecule that effectively mimics a module of MAX's binding domain. In parallel, the Omomyc protein OMO-103, developed by researchers at the Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) in Barcelona, successfully completed a phase I clinical trial. From different therapeutic perspectives, both approaches corner Myc and predict the advance of this slow line of research.