Therapeutics

Aptamers are a class of molecules that combine advantages of small molecule drugs and biologics. Specially modified aptamers have the potential to leverage recent advances in oligonucleotide technology to radically transform treatment of many diseases. Aptamer Therapeutics Creative Group (ATCG) aims to harness Raptamer™ technology to develop novel therapeutic strategies for conditions such as infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases and cancer.

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ATRAPOS THERAPEUTICS is developing targeted immunomodulatory therapeutics for management of diseases originating from overactive immune responses. The lead molecule has demonstrated encouraging activity in animal models of allergic asthma, and is currently being evaluated in other preclinical therapeutic settings, including pulmonary fibrosis and atopic dermatitis. The company is targeting STAT6 protein, a key nexus in the dysregulation of immune cell-driven allergic diseases. Other targets upstream of STAT6 that contribute to this dysregulation are currently targeted by FDA-approved therapeutics for the treatment of some of these allergic diseases Although STAT6 has been previously identified as an attractive therapeutic target, developing an inhibitor has been challenging. Inhibitory molecules need to incorporate a charge to interact with the target protein, but this same charge inhibits the ability of the potential inhibitors to cross the uncharged cell membrane and engage the protein within. Atrapos’ novel strategy surmounts this obstacle by hiding this charge in an inactive prodrug state; once within the cell, the drug is activated as the charge is revealed.

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ALLTERUM THERAPEUTICS is developing a monoclonal antibody therapy for the treatment of pediatric T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

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rHDL THERAPEUTICS is developing a novel nanoparticulate drug delivery platform capable of selectively targeting certain cell types and delivering a therapeutic payload of ribonucleic acids (RNA) for multiple disease indications. The technology harnesses the body’s endogenous cholesterol delivery mechanisms by artificially reconstituting high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Published and preliminary data demonstrate that the rHDL particles are protected from the body’s natural defense mechanisms, exhibit prolonged circulation time, and are generally non-toxic in humans. It has been used to successfully deliver therapeutic amounts of genetic material to cancer cells, both in vitro and in vivo. The technology is being developed through a scientific partnership with teams from MD Anderson Cancer Center and University of North Texas Health Science Center.

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