Could be the beginnings of a win to the in silico approach to drug development: Cloud Pharmaceuticals is working with University of Florida to develop new cancer drugs that are conceived on a computer.
The Research Triangle Park-based startup will share intellectual property with the university, and the two will jointly fund 10 research projects. So far, it’s already designed several novel inhibitors of the MTH1 protein – an enzyme that allows cancer cells to multiply. These inhibitors could be useful to target a broad range of cancers, such as ovarian, pancreatic, breast and colon.
The UF Department of Medicine is synthesizing these MTH1 inhibitors, and working on assays and preclinical research to check its efficacy. If they find this approach successful, they’ll look for an oncology drug developer to take it to late-stage preclinical research and clinical trials.
When Investment Rhymes with Canada
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
“We are thrilled about possibilities of this collaboration because each party is contributing unique skills and research capabilities,” Robert Hromas, chair of the department of medicine in the UF College of Medicine, said in a statement. “The excellent progress made on our first project is exciting and opens up many new possibilities.”
Cloud Pharmaceuticals designs drug molecules on a computer, testing them out for their molecular fit when it comes to attacking disease-causing proteins or receptors. It says that with this method, it was able to generate inhibitors with strong drug-like properties to inhibit this MTH1 protein – because it’s been found that shutting down this protein in cancerous cells can lead to DNA damage and death. But this protein’s not as important for healthy cells, so in theory blocking it won’t have the same side effects, UF and Cloud assert.
“Designing new drugs that bind to a specified protein target requires finding the best molecule in a vast virtual chemical space. Our approach searches this space much more efficiently and cost-effectively than traditional methods,” Ed Addison, CEO of Cloud Pharmaceuticals, said in a statement. “The process results in the ability to identify novel drug candidates that exhibit low probability of toxic side effects, high freedom to operate, and high probability of success.”
