KRas-SOS1 protein interaction modulators
By inhibiting the formation of the KRAS complex with its guanine nucleotide exchange factor SOS1, these molecules block loading of KRas with GTP, leading to antiproliferative activity by attenuating signalling via the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK pathway.
Cystein proteases inhibitors
Cystein proteases are enzymes that play a significant role in the development of several diseases. Thus, the SARS-CoV2 virus needs the cysteine protease Mpro to cleave its translated protein product into functional units that are essential for viral replication and progression of the disease. Orally bioavailable Mpro inhibitors are the target of a current joint project with Anixa Inc. Our patented small molecule inhibitors have shown high activity in in vitro enzyme and cell based infection assays and are prepared for further development.
Peptide-drug-conjugates
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) provide an established therapeutic strategy to combat cancer in a targeted way and has lead to several products on the market such as for example ado-trastuzumab emtansine. A recent development is to use targeting peptides (PDC) instead of antibodies – providing higher selectivity, a straightforward, less expensive synthesis, more tunable pharmaco-kinetic properties of the drug product.
MolGenie has acquired a PDC drug discovery project from OntoChem GmbH aiming to prevent metastasis in high risk breast cancer but also orphan diseases like Ewing Sarcoma. MolGenie’s PDC targets NPY1R overexpressing cancers, a modality that has been shown to correlate with a high rate of metastasis. The molecules have shown efficient activity in animal models of human cancers and are now prepared for further development.
Other diseases that could be treated with MolGenie’s PDC platform using different targeting peptides are melanoma, pancreatic or prostate cancer.