TECH

ENGINEERING  MIRROR-IMAGE  MEDICINE

We use a technique called mirror-image phage display to engineer synthetic D-protein therapies against a broad range of disease targets.  After we identify our target protein in its naturally occurring L-form, we chemically synthesize its mirror-image enantiomer using D-amino acids.  We then use several rounds of phage display to evolve high-affinity binding variants against this mirror-image of the disease target.  Finally, we chemically synthesize these binders as D-proteins that act as highly potent antagonists to the disease targets in vivo.

ADVANTAGES

SMALL SIZE

Our proprietary D-proteins are 30X smaller than antibody therapeutics enabling better tissue and tumor penetration, while allowing scalable chemical manufacturing as well as flexible formulation and dosing strategies without sacrificing affinity

RESISTANT TO PROTEOLYSIS

Because our therapeutics are chemically synthesized of D-amino acids, they are resistant to degradation by proteases, increasing their half-life in the tumor microenvironment and allowing for superior pharmacokinetics compared to other drugs 

NON-IMMUNOGENIC

D-proteins are not proteolytically cleaved so they avoid MHC presentation, rendering them invisible to the adaptive immune system and preventing the development of Anti-Drug Antibodies (ADAs), a significant problem with antibody therapeutics

BBB PENETRATION

Our D-proteins can effectively penetrate the Blood-Brain Barrier, allowing us to engage a trove of targets within the brain not accessible to any conventional antibody-based drugs