Data from Phase IIa clinical trial evaluating VT-111 to be presented by Viron Therapeutics at AHA conference
August 19, 2017
"These results are tantamount to a declaration of open season on transcription factors," said Gregory L. Verdine, PhD, Erving Professor of Chemistry, Harvard University and co-chair of Aileron Therapeutics' scientific advisory board. "While the vast majority of transcription factors are not druggable with current small molecule or biologic modalities, many features of the protein-protein interaction represented by Notch are similar to other transcription factor assemblies, giving us good reason to expect that this technology will be useful for other currently undruggable targets across diseases such as cancer, inflammation, obesity, and infection."
"The publication of a second major research article in Nature within a year demonstrates the momentum and potential for development of Stapled Peptides as a new drug modality," said Joseph Yanchik, III, Chief Executive Officer of Aileron Therapeutics. "Stapled Peptides designed to target important biologic but previously undruggable transcription factors, such as Notch, is a major focus of Aileron's R&D effort and is of significant interest as one of our potential early clinical development programs."
In a study published in Nature in October 2008 titled "BAX Activation is Initiated at a Novel Interaction Site," Aileron Therapeutics collaborators at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute demonstrated that a Stapled Peptide was able to uniquely target a new and fundamental activation mechanism of the programmed cell death or "apoptotic" pathway.
Aileron has developed Stapled Peptides designed to target specific transcription factors across multiple therapeutic areas, and is advancing these compounds in its preclinical programs.
Source: Yates Public Relations