Sibylla Biotech and MD Anderson Partner to Develop Small-Molecule Protein Degraders

Sibylla Biotech and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have announced a strategic collaboration to discover and develop advanced small-molecule cancer therapies known as Folding Interfering Degraders (FIDs). These therapies work by disrupting the proper folding of target proteins, leading to their degradation.

Under this agreement, both entities will unite their strengths from target identification to the nomination of drug candidates for selected proteins. The partnership may extend to further pre-clinical and clinical development stages. This collaboration merges Sibylla’s innovative Pharmacological Protein Inactivation by Folding Intermediates Targeting (PPI-FIT) technology with the comprehensive drug development expertise of MD Anderson’s Therapeutics Discovery division.

Lidia Pieri, PhD, MBA, Co-Founder and CEO of Sibylla Biotech, expressed excitement about the collaboration. She emphasized the potential of PPI-FIT technology and FIDs to offer new treatment options for challenging medical conditions. Pieri values the opportunity to partner with MD Anderson’s team of drug development experts to fulfill their vision of addressing patients with high unmet medical needs.

Sibylla’s PPI-FIT technology is a proprietary platform that aids in discovering and developing FIDs. These are small molecules that cause the degradation of target proteins by interfering with their folding pathways. The technology is particularly notable for its ability to target proteins that are deemed “undruggable” due to the lack of suitable pockets in their native state.

Tim Heffernan, Ph.D., vice president and head of Therapeutics Discovery at MD Anderson, highlighted the promising potential of folding interfering degraders as a new modality to target significant cancer drivers. He expressed optimism about advancing compelling therapeutic candidates through this collaboration, aiming to develop impactful new medicines that provide more effective treatment options for patients.

MD Anderson's Therapeutics Discovery division is designed to streamline the drug discovery process by bringing together scientists, clinicians, and drug development experts. This integration aims to eliminate the bottlenecks that traditionally slow down drug discovery. The division's close collaboration with MD Anderson physicians allows for the development of impactful cancer therapies that are directly inspired by patient needs and clinical insights.

Once a drug candidate is identified, Sibylla and MD Anderson may explore further development, including translational and clinical activities, to advance the candidate to patients who need it.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, based in Houston, is one of the world's most respected institutions focused on cancer patient care, research, education, and prevention. MD Anderson's mission is to end cancer globally. Since 1971, it has been designated as one of the nation’s first National Cancer Institute (NCI)-comprehensive cancer centers. It consistently ranks No. 1 for cancer in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals” rankings and has been among the top two hospitals for cancer since the rankings began in 1990. MD Anderson receives support from the NCI of the National Institutes of Health.

Sibylla Biotech is pioneering the protein degradation field by leveraging a novel mechanism of action that disrupts protein folding, thereby inhibiting the expression of disease-relevant proteins. Utilizing its PPI-FIT technology platform, Sibylla identifies previously unexplored folding intermediates for protein targets that are considered undruggable in their native state. The company is developing a proprietary pipeline of small molecule folding interfering degraders (FIDs) to address a wide range of therapeutic areas.