Adrestia Therapeutics enters new phase with Proteros partnership and appointment of head of chemistry

Adrestia Therapeutics has entered into a multi-target partnership with German drug discovery company Proteros biostructures GmbH and announced the appointment of a head of chemistry.

The Babraham Research Campus company, which is pioneering synthetic rescue therapies, says the developments signal a new phase as it aims to take its portfolio of validated targets into drug discovery for genetically defined neurologic and cardiomyopathic diseases.

Its deal with Munich-based Proteros, a privately-held company with expertise in structure-based drug discovery, will provide access to leading protein biochemistry, assay development and high throughput protein structure capabilities.

And the appointment of Dr James Osborne adds further proven high-level experience to Adrestia. He has experience with several successful biotech companies and has led or been involved in the delivery of seven drug candidates across various target classes.

Tom Heightman, Adrestia’s chief research and development officer, said: “Throughout my career I’ve watched our industry design candidate drugs for targets that turned out to be inadequately validated.

“Adrestia is different: our synthetic rescue platform is identifying novel targets that are highly validated by clinically relevant human cellular experiments with strong support from human genetics.

“Given our high conviction in these targets, we are applying parallel drug discovery strategies to maximise probability of success and accelerate timelines to IND. I’m thrilled to be working with James and Proteros – we’re poised to deliver some revolutionary new medicines.”

Most recently, Dr Osborne ran the medicinal chemistry function at Granta Park-based Amphista Therapeutics, following a spell leading small molecule discovery at GW Pharmaceuticals in Cambridgeshire and project and medicinal chemistry leadership roles at Cambridge Science Park company Astex and Chesterford Research Park-based Charles River Labs.

He holds an MSc in chemistry and a PhD in organic synthesis from Nottingham University and completed his postdoctoral studies at the University of Oxford before beginning his drug discovery career at the Institute of Cancer Research.

“I’m really excited by the opportunity of Adrestia’s target portfolio and I look forward to exploiting a range of modalities including small molecule and oligonucleotide chemistries,” he said.

“Our collaboration with Proteros allows us to apply sophisticated structure-guided drug design methodologies, including crystallographic fragment screening, artificial intelligence and virtual library screening.”

The collaboration with Proteros, which provides its research services to many of the world’s top 20 biggest pharma companies, gives Adrestia access to world-first protein crystal structures.

The companies will use data from the Swiss Light Source in Villigen, Switzerland, and the Diamond Light Source in the UK – two synchrotron facilities – to enable rapid drug design. Synchrotrons area a type of circular particle accelerator that accelerates electrons to near light speeds so that they give off light 10 billion times brighter than the sun, which are directed off into ‘beamlines’ for use in application including studying biological structures.

Debora Konz Makino, VP business unit discovery solutions at Proteros, said: “Adrestia’s carefully validated targets discovered through their unique platform and their disease applications are an inspiration to Proteros. We are delighted to support Adrestia in their accelerated drug discovery endeavours for a variety of complex targets to treat genetic diseases.”

Adrestia’s approach does not target the causative mutation of disease, but instead focuses on developing synthetic rescue drugs that modulate a related pathway, which corrects the effects of the disease mutation and ‘rescues’ cells from disease.

It has been stepping up activities in recent months, appointing Will Lewis – the CEO of Insmed – as its chair, and extending its US operations by appointing Jennifer Millian as VP of US operations and Dr Philip Coxon –previously at AstraZeneca – as VP of business development in September.