Digest 9/7/23
Surveying great inventors and businesses
Axial: https://linktr.ee/axialxyz
Axial partners with great founders and inventors. We invest in early-stage life sciences companies such as Appia Bio, Seranova Bio, Delix Therapeutics, Simcha Therapeutics, among others often when they are no more than an idea. We are fanatical about helping the rare inventor who is compelled to build their own enduring business. If you or someone you know has a great idea or company in life sciences, Axial would be excited to get to know you and possibly invest in your vision and company . We are excited to be in business with you - email us at info@axialvc.com
Mega-scale experimental analysis of protein folding stability in biology and design led by Kotaro Tsuboyama from the Gabriel Rocklin lab https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06328-6
The paper invents a new method for measuring protein folding stability called cDNA display proteolysis. With the ability to measure the folding stability of up to 900K protein domains in a single experiment. Creating a dataset of 776,298 folding stability measurements for natural and designed proteins.
The authors then used this dataset to investigate the factors that influence protein folding stability. And found that the amino acid sequence is the most important factor, followed by environmental factors such as temperature and pH.
This dataset can then be used to evaluate and guide protein design methods. To find starting points that are more stable and/or fold faster. Offering powerful new tool hone in on the factors that influence a given protein from antibody fragments to some enzymes.
Vault: Ginkgo Bioworks
Nimbus Therapeutics raised $210M co-led by GV, SR One, and Atlas Venture
For its 3rd chapter, now developing programs for Werner syndrome, an undisclosed autoimmune target, and NDI 1150-101 to target HPK1 as a cancer treatment
Relay Therapeutics, founded in 2015 based on work from D.E. Shaw research, develops small molecules for oncology & genetic diseases
Using its Dynamo platform to stimulate protein motion. With a deal with Genentech for SHP-2, and a lead asset, RLY-4008, targeting FGFR2
Nurix Therapeutics entered into a collaboration with Seagen to develop Degrader-Antibody Conjugates (DACs) for cancer. Nurix will receive a $60M upfront payment in addition to the potential for approximately $3.4 billion in milestones plus future royalties.
The idea is to use Nurix’s DELigase targeted protein degrader plafform to improve on the payloads currently used by ADCs, creating a suite of new antibody drugs with an improved ability to selectively kill cancer cells. Combining the tissue and tumor specificity of antibodies with highly potent and catalytic targeted degradation of cancer driver proteins.
TAK-279
A phase Ilb oral, once-daily allosteric TYK2 inhibitor
Developed by Nimbus and acquired by Takeda
Worth a Read: 'Unexpected Effects of Protein Degradation' https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/unexpected-effects-protein-degradation
Founder Stories, Matthew Rabinowitz, Co-Founder of Natera
MicroRNA, autoantibody and protein markers for diagnosis of neuronal injury
Inventors: Kevin Wang, Zhiqun Zhang, Ming-Cheng Liu, Ronald Hayes, Jitendra Dave
Current Assignee: Banyan Biomarkers, US Army
Claims: a process for detecting a neurological condition by measuring one or more neuron specific biomarkers in a biological sample. With the synthesis of biomarker altered following an injury. Also detecting based on the ratio of the biomarkers.
https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/d2/c3/c8/4345cd240ab0f8/US20170242041A1.pdf
HyTEC: Hybrid Tissue Engineering Construct invented by Seyedsina Moeinzadeh & Peter Yunzhi Yang https://techfinder.stanford.edu/technology/hytec-hybrid-tissue-engineering-construct
Applications: delivery of therapeutics. With advantages for cells & regnerative medicine. Enabling the delivery of proteins and/or cells along with 3D printed constructs. To treat things like soft tissue defects or induce vascularization.
HiFiBiO Therapeutics uses single-cell genomics to discover and develop antibody drugs to treat cancer and autoimmune disorders. Founded in 2013, the company's platform, DIS, combines single-cell functional screening with high-throughput sequencing to identify/optimize antibodies. Building out an internal pipeline:
- HFB200301, a first-in-class monoclonal anti-TNFR2 agonist antibody for advanced solid tumors
- HFB200302, mAb targeting the IL-23 receptor for psoriasis
- HFB200303, mAb targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway to treat cancer
Along with partnering with companies like FibroGen and Novartis.
Ginkgo Bioworks is hiring an Alliance Manager focused on agriculture https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3689228104
Ginkgo is constructing, editing, and redesigning the living world in order to answer the globe’s growing challenges in health, energy, food, materials, and more. Using an in-house automated foundry for designing and building new organisms.
"If you have an idea that you just can’t shake off or can’t stop thinking about, and especially if that idea could improve our world, you should think seriously about trying to build a company. The journey is hard and you will need to build support along the way in the form of mentors, teammates and partners, and in your community, but keep your eyes on the prize and think about those you can impact. If you are lucky enough to build something successful, don’t forget that struggle, and commit to finding a way to lessen the barriers to success for the next generation of founders."
- Chris Gibson, Co-Founder & CEO of Recursion
