Agreement supports small molecule development to combat tumour types

Scottish drug development company Ubiquigent (Dundee) specialising in harnessing novel deubiquitinase (DUB) modulators as new therapeutics for areas of high unmet medical need, recently signed an agreement with  Debiopharm, (Lausanne) a biopharmaceutical company developing treatments to cure cancer and infectious diseases. 

Under the terms of the agreement, Ubiquigent will deploy its DUB-focused platform and knowledge in this field to develop novel target engagement assays to support the Swiss organisation’s Debio-0432 candidate.

Currently, in late-stage preclinical development, Debio 0432 is a small molecule with best-in-class potential that could be deployed to combat multiple tumour types. Through its potent and selective inhibition of USP1, a critical player in the DNA damage repair (DDR) pathway, Debio 0432 has the potential to induce synthetic lethality in tumour types with underlying defects of DNA repair genes.

“We are delighted to enter this agreement with Debiopharm, supporting the development of its advanced USP1 inhibitor programme. Following our successful collaborations with other clinical stage companies, this latest agreement further demonstrates the capability of Ubiquigent’s platform to address all aspects of DUB drug discovery and development, encompassing target validation, hit-to-lead, candidate selection, translational research, and the development of assays to support clinical evaluation," Jason Mundin, CEO of Ubiquigent, said. “With multiple assets now reaching clinical stage, we look forward to seeing the continued progression and expansion of the DUB field over the coming years as more companies enter the space and new therapeutics enter the clinic.”

Bertrand Ducrey, CEO, Debiopharm, commented: “Ubiquigent’s specialised drug discovery platform is uniquely positioned to support our USP1 inhibitor programme as it approaches the clinic, enabling the development of novel target engagement assays. Selective inhibition of USP1 to interrupt DNA damage repair pathway is an exciting approach to cancer treatment.”

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