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Instead of targeting the final protein, Remix develops small molecules that intervene during pre-mRNA processing. This novel approach allows them to inhibit historically difficult drug targets like MYB, a transcription factor with no obvious binding sites, by preventing the disease-driving protein from ever being made.
Remix Therapeutics is using the clinical success of its first drug (targeting MYB) to validate its entire RNA modulation platform. This initial proof-of-concept provides strong rationale and investor confidence to pursue even more challenging and significant oncogenes like MYC, one of oncology's most sought-after targets.
The company focuses on disease-specific 3D protein conformations, which exposes new binding sites (epitopes) not present on the same protein in healthy cells. This allows for highly selective drugs that avoid the toxicity common with targets defined by genetic sequence alone.
Instead of directly blocking the mutated KRAS protein, daraxin racid acts as a 'molecular glue.' It binds to a separate chaperone protein, and this new complex then disables the mutated KRAS protein. This indirect, novel mechanism of action is a breakthrough for targeting a protein that has been notoriously difficult to drug.
Recludix succeeded in drugging SH2 domains, a target class abandoned in the 90s, by integrating five modern technologies. This platform includes proprietary DNA-encoded libraries, machine learning, a selectivity tool, novel crystallography methods, and a pro-drug approach to ensure cell permeability, demonstrating the complex approach needed for modern drug discovery breakthroughs.
Unlike traditional small molecules that need a pocket on a target protein, molecular glues work by changing the surface of an E3 ligase. This modified surface then perfectly matches and binds the target protein, enabling its degradation without requiring a direct drug-to-target binding site.
While biologics get much attention, a significant investment opportunity lies in next-generation small molecules like degraders and hetero-bifunctional molecules. These advanced chemistries allow companies to target known, de-risked biological pathways in novel ways, hitting previously 'undruggable' targets and creating powerful new drugs.
The next leap in medicine isn't just delivering a payload but programming it with conditional logic. Radar Therapeutics engineers mRNA to act like software with "if/and/or" commands. This allows the therapy to sense its cellular environment and activate only in the right context, moving beyond a simple "execute" function.
Unlike typical targeted therapies that block a mutated receptor, menin inhibitors work by disrupting a master transcription complex. This forces leukemic cells to mature (differentiate) into terminal forms like neutrophils, after which they naturally die off.
By focusing on the phenotypic outcome (cellular stress) rather than a predefined target, Soleil's platform can identify small molecules that modulate proteins considered undruggable by conventional means. Their lead oncology candidate, for example, modulates CCAP2, demonstrating the platform's ability to find novel biology and expand the druggable space.
Targeting the MYC cancer protein presents a dual challenge. Biologically, it's vital for healthy cells, creating a high risk of toxicity. Biophysically, its disordered, 'floppy' structure lacks the defined pockets that traditional drugs need to bind to, making it a 'holy grail' target.