The majority of disease driving targets are currently considered ‘undruggable’, because at first glance they appear structurally resistant to chemical intervention, especially when viewed outside of a cell in a static crystalized form. PhoreMost has developed SITESEEKER®, a new ‘phenotypic’ screening platform that exploits the dynamics of a live-cell environment to uncover hidden druggable target sites across the entire human genome and then convert this information rapidly into novel small-molecule therapeutics.
Researchers at The Wistar Institute are developing high-throughput phenotypic assays for a multitude of undruggable targets of interest in cancer, aging and immunology, to which PhoreMost will apply SITESEEKER, in order to find new therapeutic options in these unmet disease areas. Wistar will also provide PhoreMost with specialist disease biology knowledge and drug mode-of-action studies on a project-by-project basis to support downstream drug discovery efforts.
Dr Chris Torrance, CEO at PhoreMost, commented: “PhoreMost and Wistar share the belief that innovative small biotechs working together with nimble research institutes could represent a new model for drug discovery to increase the diversity of new therapies being developed and bring them to patients at lower costs. I am delighted the Wistar is a founding member in this mission and encourage other academic and clinical institutes to join us in this mission.”
Heather Steinman, PhD, MBA, Wistar vice president for Business Development and executive director, Technology Transfer, said: “PhoreMost is a cutting-edge discovery partner that will be collaborating closely with Wistar to uncover previously unidentified therapeutic targets that may prove useful for advancing innovative therapies. We are eager to be partnering with PhoreMost to fully utilize their phenotype-based screening platform technology to rapidly identify new therapeutic candidates.”
About PhoreMost Ltd
PhoreMost has developed a next-generation phenotypic drug discovery technology called SITESEEKER®, which uses the power of live-cells to discern the best new targets for future therapy and crucially, how to drug them. Based on ‘Protein Interference’ (PROTEINi®); a new genome-wide target identification & validation platform created by PhoreMost, SITESEEKER® can now systematically reveal critical druggable target-sites in any particular disease setting and then convert this information rapidly into novel small-molecule therapeutics.
Using SITESEEKER®, PhoreMost is exclusively developing first-in-class targets for a range of unmet diseases and will collaborate with other pharmaceutical companies also wishing to engage in ‘Drugging the Undruggable®’. www.phoremost.com
About The Wistar Institute
The Wistar Institute is an international leader in biomedical research with special expertise in cancer research and vaccine development. Founded in 1892 as the first independent nonprofit biomedical research institute in the country, Wistar has held the prestigious Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute since 1972. The Institute works actively to ensure that research advances move from the laboratory to the clinic as quickly as possible. Wistar’s Business Development team is dedicated to advancing Wistar Science and Technology Development through creative partnerships. www.wistar.org
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Contacts
Media enquiries
Lorna Cuddon
Zyme Communications
E-mail: lorna.cuddon@zymecommunications.com
Phone: +44 (0) 7811996942
At PhoreMost Ltd
Dr Chris Torrance, CEO
E-mail: chris.torrance@phoremost.com
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