Sibylla Biotech and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have entered into a strategic collaboration to develop novel small-molecule cancer therapies called Folding Interfering Degraders (FIDs). These FIDs work by disrupting the proper folding of target proteins, leading to their degradation.
Under this partnership, Sibylla and MD Anderson will collaborate on the discovery and development of these therapies, from identifying targets to nominating drug candidates. This effort will leverage Sibylla’s Pharmacological Protein Inactivation by Folding Intermediates Targeting (PPI-FIT) technology alongside MD Anderson’s expertise in drug development through its Therapeutics Discovery division.
“Our team at Sibylla is dedicated to broadening the applications of our PPI-FIT technology and FIDs to offer new treatment options for challenging medical conditions,” said Lidia Pieri, PhD, MBA, Co-Founder and CEO of Sibylla Biotech. “Collaborating with MD Anderson’s drug development experts enhances our ability to pursue our vision of addressing significant unmet medical needs.”
Sibylla’s PPI-FIT technology focuses on discovering and developing FIDs, which are small molecules designed to degrade target proteins by interfering with their folding process. This approach is particularly useful for targeting proteins that have been considered “undruggable” due to the lack of suitable binding sites in their native forms.
“Folding interfering degraders offer a promising new way to target crucial cancer drivers,” said Tim Heffernan, PhD, vice president and head of Therapeutics Discovery at MD Anderson. “We are excited to advance these candidates as novel therapeutic options by combining Sibylla’s PPI-FIT technology with our drug development capabilities, aiming to create impactful new medicines for patients in need of more effective treatments.”
MD Anderson’s Therapeutics Discovery division unites scientists, clinicians, and drug development experts to streamline the drug discovery process. By integrating closely with MD Anderson’s clinical insights and patient needs, the division aims to develop effective cancer therapies efficiently.
Once a drug candidate is nominated, Sibylla and MD Anderson may consider further development, including translational and clinical activities, to bring the candidate to patients who need it.
About MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world’s most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. The institution’s sole mission is to end cancer for patients and their families around the world, and, in 1971, it became one of the nation’s first National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer centers. MD Anderson is No. 1 for cancer in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals” rankings and has been named one of the nation’s top two hospitals for cancer since the rankings began in 1990. MD Anderson receives a cancer center support grant from the NCI of the National Institutes of Health (P30 CA016672).
About Sibylla Biotech
Sibylla is disrupting the protein degradation landscape by applying a novel mechanism of action that interferes with protein folding and thereby suppresses the expression of a disease-relevant protein. Through its protein folding simulation technology platform, Pharmacological Protein Inactivation by Folding Intermediate Targeting (PPI-FIT), Sibylla identifies relevant and previously inexplorable folding intermediates for protein targets that are currently considered undruggable in their native state. The company is developing a proprietary pipeline of small molecule folding interfering degraders (FIDs) that can address a range of therapeutic areas.