Molecure and Avicenna Partner to Develop Cancer Drugs

Molecure has announced a collaborative research effort with Avicenna Biosciences to drive the discovery and development of new small molecule drugs targeting ubiquitin-specific protease 7 (USP7), aimed at treating cancer. This partnership seeks to combine Avicenna's advanced machine learning-driven medicinal chemistry platform with Molecure’s expertise in drug discovery and USP7 biology, with the goal of identifying potential drug candidates that exhibit enhanced pharmaceutical qualities.

Avicenna's role in this partnership will involve the creation of algorithms designed to detect new chemical entities that inhibit USP7, adhering to specific pharmacological criteria. Molecure will then take charge of synthesizing and evaluating these entities, selecting the most promising candidates for further development. The rights for the development and commercialization of any resulting drug candidates will be retained by Molecure.

Chris Meldrum, Avicenna’s president and CEO, expressed admiration for the Molecure team’s deep expertise in targeting USP7 and their commitment to delivering new treatment options to patients facing difficult-to-treat cancers. He highlighted the challenge of transforming chemical potential into biological and clinical reality for this significant target as an exciting opportunity for Avicenna.

Under this risk-sharing model, Avicenna will receive an upfront fee and research funding contingent on the success of the developed compounds. Should Molecure choose to license the molecules, Avicenna will be entitled to license fees and a share of future revenues from any successfully developed drugs.

Molecure has a focus on small molecule drugs that target previously unexplored protein and RNA targets. Among their most advanced drug candidates is OATD-01, a CHIT1 inhibitor intended for the treatment of interstitial lung diseases. Another key candidate, OATD-02, is a dual arginase inhibitor for cancer treatment, which recently progressed to Phase I clinical trials with initial patient administration occurring in the first quarter of 2023.

Marcin Szumowski, CEO of Molecure, emphasized that the collaboration aims to leverage the combined strengths of Molecure’s in-depth knowledge of the validated in vivo target, USP7, and Avicenna’s machine learning-driven medicinal chemistry platform. This synergy is expected to produce superior drug candidates with optimal pharmacological profiles, which will be viable for further preclinical and clinical development.

This partnership represents a strategic alliance that combines cutting-edge machine learning technology with substantial expertise in drug discovery, offering the potential to develop innovative therapies for cancer patients. As the collaboration progresses, both companies are poised to make significant contributions to the field of oncology by addressing unmet medical needs and improving patient outcomes through the development of novel small molecule drugs.

How to obtain the latest research advancements in the field of biopharmaceuticals?

In the Synapse database, you can keep abreast of the latest research and development advances in drugs, targets, indications, organizations, etc., anywhere and anytime, on a daily or weekly basis. Click on the image below to embark on a brand new journey of drug discovery!