TECHNOLOGY
Targeting Kinases
While there are more than 500 kinases encoded within the human genome with over 70 FDA approved small molecule kinase inhibitors, mostly for cancer indications, resistance to first line inhibitors often leads to cancer recurrence and poor prognosis. The development of new drugs that overcome such cancer resistance is still a critical unmet medical need. Applying DEL technology in novel ways, we screened a library of 7 billion compounds and identified best-in-class new small molecule chemical entities (“NCE”) with single nM IC50s targeting key tyrosine kinases, including ABL1 and its clinically important mutants, including ABL1-T315I, BTK, JAK1/2/3, TYK2, RET, TRKA/B/C, ROS1, AurkA/B/C, SRC and LCK. We are developing the first “multi kinase inhibitor”, which has single nM IC50 against ABL1-T315I, BTK, AurK, JAK and LCK for patients with Ph+ Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (“Ph+ ALL”) and Ph+ “Like” ALL. Our product candidate is up to ~15-fold more effective against some Ph+ ALL patient-derived tumor cell lines than is Iclusig (ponatinib), currently the only approved TKI effective against ABL1-T315I mutants, but that carries a “black box” warning from FDA.
Regulating the Senescence-
Associated Secretory Phenotype (SASP)
Cellular senescence is characterized by irreversible cell cycle arrest and a proinflammatory senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), which is a major contributor to aging and age-related diseases. Senescent cells accumulate during aging and negatively influence lifespan and promote age-dependent changes in several organs. IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, TGF-β, and various matrix metalloproteinases (MMP3, 12) make up the key components of the SASP. The sustained inflammatory microenvironment created by the SASP can lead to chronic inflammation, which can have detrimental affects on tissues and organs, contributing to various age-related diseases and conditions. JAK kinases contribute to the regulation of the SASP through the JAK/STAT pathway. We are developing “best-in-class” selective JAK2, JAK2/3 and TYK2/JAK3 topical and systemically-delivered TKIs, discovered using our DEL screening technology, as senomorphic therapy, to down-regulate the SASP without the potential negative adverse effects of JAK1 inhibition.
PIPELINE
Our early pipeline is focused on identifying novel small molecule candidates that are both first-in-class and best-in-class.