NEW YORK, October 26, 2023 – SEED Therapeutics Inc. (“SEED”), a biotech company focused on harnessing and engineering Molecular Glues for targeted protein degradation (TPD) of disease-causing proteins, announced at its Monday, October 23, 2023 Targeted Protein Degradation (TPD) Think Tank symposium that it had successfully discovered ST-00937, a new chemical entity (NCE) molecular glue that has already achieved IND Candidate status and will be advanced for the treatment of cancers in SEED’s first IND filing, as early as 2024.
SEED is a subsidiary of BeyondSpring, Inc. (NASDAQ: BYSI), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on developing innovative therapies.
Dr. James Tonra, SEED President, and Chief Scientific Officer, said, “Preclinical data over the last two to three years has uncovered new and important cancer indications for agents that can inhibit or degrade the RNA splicing factor RBM39, but clinical activity in these new indications is minimal or absent.”
According to Dr. Tonra, SEED’s research and development scientists recognized this unmet need, as well as the opportunity to discover yet unrecognized additional indications for an RBM39 targeted molecular glue. “Our seasoned R&D team proceeded to discover and file a patent application for an oral RBM39 degrader that causes complete tumor regressions in select tumor models without detectable toxicities. SEED’s rapid progress on this program towards clinical testing within a year of project initiation reflects the power and potential of TPD science, as well as SEED’s expertise and determination to lead the way to patient benefits and the first regulatory approval with an RBM39 degrader.”
The SEED TPD Think Tank was led by SEED Co-Founders who are at the forefront of TPD thought leadership: Nobel Laureate Dr. Avram Hershko, who uncovered the Ubiquitin Proteasome System almost 50 years ago; SEED Chairman and CEO Dr. Lan Huang, who pioneered the understanding of E3 ligase structure by solving the first E3 ligase structure over 20 years ago; Professor Michele Pagano, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, TPD biology and cancer expert, and chair of New York University biochemistry and molecular pharmacology departments; and Professor Ning Zheng, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, TPD structural biologist, and Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Washington.
According to Dr. Huang, “The SEED TPD Think Tank shared key TPD developments across academia and industry. But importantly, our SEED Co-Founders, our invited TPD field thought leaders who also presented, and our domestic and foreign attendees engaged in an interactive session that encouraged and challenged scientists, researchers, and developers to extend the boundaries and prospects for TPD through new thinking on TPD molecular mechanism, structural basis, protein proximity in live cells, rational degrader design, and the use of AI-based modeling and computation to speed up discovery efforts.”
Invited presenters shared their latest research and insights on translating TPD science to overcoming the hurdles to target “undruggable” disease-causing proteins:
- Prof. Chittaranjan Das, Purdue University, E3 Ligase Structure
- Prof. Gaurav Bhardwaj, University of Washington, Computational Design
- Prof. Lan Huang, University of California Irvine, Proteomics/Proximity
- Prof. Luca Busino, University of Pennsylvania, TPD Cancer Biology
- Dr. Jesus Izaguirre, AtomMap, AI Drug Design
According to Dr. Huang, “The full impact of TPD on human disease can only be realized with continued scientific advancements on the selection of right E3 ligase for most, if not all disease-causing protein.”
Dr. Huang concluded: “At SEED, we thrive on our ability to leverage the scientific leadership of our distinguished Co-Founders. Their research, insight, and conviction allow SEED to focus and accelerate basic research into a fast-expanding TPD drug pipeline, enabled by our unique ability to identify the right E3. This symposium provided a valuable exchange on new directions, opportunities, and challenges on TPD drug development. Together, we are building an exciting ecosystem of best minds in TPD field that will continue to benefit from open collaborations and synergies between academic and industry, as we continue to translate high science into medicine for patients with significant unmet medical needs.”
The first “TPD Think Tank” symposium was held at SEED Therapeutics’ laboratory in King of Prussia, PA.
About SEED Therapeutics
SEED Therapeutics is an innovative biotech company focusing on harnessing and engineering “molecular glues” and targeted protein degradation (TPD) to attack previously undruggable targets. Backed by a comprehensive intellectual property portfolio, SEED Therapeutics’ mission is to positively impact human health by creating novel protein degradation therapeutics to treat various severe diseases that currently have limited treatment options for patients and their families. Through ongoing collaborations with world-leading academic experts in the field, SEED Therapeutics is developing a growing pipeline of novel drug candidates on a path to potential clinical and commercial success. SEED has an initial R&D collaboration and investment from Eli Lilly and Company. Learn more by visiting https://seedtherapeutics.com/.
About BeyondSpring
BeyondSpring (NASDAQ: BYSI) is a global clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on developing innovative therapies to improve clinical outcomes for patients with high unmet medical needs. The Company is advancing its first-in-class lead asset, Plinabulin, as a direct anti-cancer agent in various cancer indications and to prevent chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. Its pipeline also includes three preclinical immuno-oncology assets. Additionally, BeyondSpring’s subsidiary, SEED Therapeutics, leverages a proprietary targeted protein degradation (TPD) drug discovery platform and has an initial R&D collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company. Learn more by visiting https://beyondspringpharma.com.
Investor Contact:
Media Contact: