Posters –
Immunology and Oncology
NAME OF THE PROJECT
NAME OF THE MAIN CONTACT
ORGANISATION NAME
Technology
On-demand beta peptide libraries
Michael Bavand
ChromaCon AG
The technology is based on the unique KAHA ligation chemistry for creating beta peptides
in aqueous solution. The synthesized compounds that can be designed to be drug-like,
can be screened directly in the reaction wells without pre-purification. Currently, library
sizes of more than 300 mio compounds can be generated. Beta peptides are nonimmunogenic and are not degraded by proteases. Our technology can produce
macrocycles, a drug class between small molecules and proteins enabling novel drug
targets in vivo. Novel intracellular protein-protein interaction can now be accessed. Proof
of concept has been shown by creating a HCV protease inhibitor, an antibiotic and a
Protein A mimetic.
Pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies as well as medical-device companies.
Pharma companies may access novel drug targets by using macrocycle leads that are not
accessible by therapeutic proteins or small-molecuel drugs.
Customers / Target market
Diagnostic companies may find stable beta peptides useful for diagnostic purposes. In
contrast alpha peptides are rapidly degraded
Medical devices : coating of medical devices with stable macrocycles with
pharmacological action may be very useful. Ex-vivo immune therapy fishing IgGs with
stable Protein A mimetics is being pursued. Reagent companies may use stable
customized affinity reagents for biopharma processing to purify proteins
Industry and competitors
Financing need / Commercial
opportunity
IP – Patent situation
Industry as above.
Competitors : companies developing medicines based on alpha peptidic macrocycles such
as Ra Pharmaceuticals, Aileron, Lanthio Pharma (Morphosys), PeptiDream, Ensembe
Therapeutics, Protagonist Therapeutics, Bicyle Therapeutics. These can be efficiently
generated by SELEX methods such as phage display or ribosome display. Those
compounds however are rapidly degraded in vivo and are not drug-like with good tissue
penetration and oral bioavailability.
The technology is available for out-licensing and partnering.
ChromCon is pursuing a Series B financing in 2016
KAHA ligation is patented by UCSB and can be licensed. The creation of On-demand
peptide libraries have been applied for a patent, with full rights owned by Chromcon.
Synthesis of monomers is internal know-how. About fifty different monomers have been
synthesized to date.
ChromaCon will address targets in the field of immunology-oncology, and infectious
diseases such as checkpoint inhibitors in an ongoing project.
Future steps / Milestones
A Protein A mimetic is being developed for use in bioprocessing and as a binding agent
for a medical device used in ex-vivo treatments (Immunophoresis)
A novel antibiotic has been discovered and the mode of action is currently being
investigated by target analysis. The lead will be refined for obtaining higher potency.
1.
Selection-Based Discovery of Druglike Macrocyclic Peptides
Annual Review of Biochemistry
Vol. 83: 727-752 (Volume publication date June 2014)
2.
http://www.nature.com/scibx/collections/macrocycles/index.html
Macrocycles and constrained peptides
3.
Synthetic fermentation of bioactive non-ribosomal peptides without organisms,
enzymes or reagents. Nature Chemistry 6, 877–884 (2014)
4.
Same issue as above, with News and Views and interviews with Prof. Jeff Bode
Further reading
Contact person
Dr. Michael Bavand, CEO, ChromaCon AG, michael.bavandhromacon.ch
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