An Oncology biotech pioneering  RAD51 inhibition to treat high replication stress tumors

Pipeline

Satya’s Pipeline comprises First-In-Class and Best-In-Class
Targets focused on DDR pathway and Oncogenes.

TARGET

MOA / INDICATION

BIO MARKER

RIGHTS

EARLY DISCOVERY

LEAD OPTIMIZATION

PRE - CLINICAL

IND

RAD51

DDR; TNBC, NSCLC, PAN Ca

Replication Stress, Oncogene mutations

Global

87%

SOS1

Oncogene; NSCLC, CRC

EGFR mutation & Pan RAS mutation

Global

76%

Undisclosed

DDR/Oncogene

Undisclosed

Partnered

Undisclosed

KIF18A

DDR

CIN+ve cells

Global

35%

PARG

DDR

HRD

Global

13%

USP1

DDR

HRD

Global

9%

Pipeline

Satya’s Pipeline comprises First-In-Class and Best-In-Class
Targets focused on DDR pathway and Oncogenes.

TARGET

MOA / INDICATION

BIO MARKER

RIGHTS

EARLY DISCOVERY

LEAD OPTIMIZATION

PRE - CLINICAL

IND

RAD51

DDR; TNBC, NSCLC, PAN Ca

Replication Stress, Oncogene mutations

Global

91%

SOS1

Oncogene; NSCLC, CRC

EGFR mutation & Pan RAS mutation

Global

77%

Undisclosed

DDR/Oncogene

Undisclosed

Partnered

Undisclosed

KIF18A

DDR

CIN+ve cells

Global

25%

PARG

DDR

HRD

Global

11%

USP1

DDR

HRD

Global

11%

RAD51

    • The centrality and functionality of RAD51 in the DDR pathway confers upon it a broad role in various replication stress-induced cancers rather than being confined to tumors with specific molecular alterations only thereby widening the patient base that can be treated with this class of drugs.
    • Our candidate compound, by specifically targeting RAD51:BRCA2 inhibition: a) transiently prevents nuclear RAD51 foci formation; b) has no effect on RAD51 expression; c) does not affect any of the other functionalities of RAD51 (ATP hydrolysis, multimerization or DNA binding); and d) is unlikely to lead to overt toxicities
    • The candidate compound is potent across tumors with high Replication Stress (GOF in RAS, EGFR, PI3K and other genes)
    • SAT-122 can therefore be a Broad Spectrum oncology agent and used: a) in High Replication stress tumors; b) in combination with replication stress inducers such as Olaparib; and c) in combination with Chemotherapy and SOC drugs for RAS/ EGFR/ PI3K mediated tumors

SAT-122 binding

  • RAD51 interacts with the TR2 (red circle) and the BRC repeat (green circle) domains of BRCA2. The TR2 interaction domain is critical in cell replication, whereas the BRC interaction is critical in HR DSBR (and therefore in cells with high replication stress)
  • SAT-122 disrupts the BRC domain interaction, thus causing disruption in DSBR but potentially sparing replication in normal cells

Ref: Annals of Oncology 29: 1203–1210, 2018; Clinical Breast Cancer Volume 18, Issue 2, April 2018, Pages 184-188; Clin Cancer Res. 2017 November 01; 23(21):6708–6720 Cancer Cell International (2023) 23:231 BMB Rep. 2019; 52(2): 151-156] Plos one 17.8 (2022): e0266645. Cancers 13.12 (2021): 2930. Nature Communications 14.1 (2023): 7003.

Satya has generated in vivo proof-of-concept in multiple solid tumor cell lines and xenograft models, as a single angle and in combination, with its first-in-class, orally available, candidate compound.

Centrality of RAD51, downstream recombinase in DSBR

RAD51:BRCA2 Disruption

SOS1

    • SOS1 is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for RAS proteins involved in activating Ras. Inhibition of SOS1 results in lowering the Ras-GTP activated state, inhibiting the RAS-MEK-ERK pathway and lowering proliferation, in both WT and the various mutant Ras isoforms
    •  SOS1 inhibitors have strong single agent anti-tumor activity in activating SHP2 mutant tumors
    • SOS1 acts as a potential driver in late stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) & Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (RTK) resistant mutant EGFR bearing cancers

Satya’s SOS1 inhibitors demonstrate complete pERK and pAKT inhibition across various cell lines and best-in-class efficacy in a KRAS driven cancer xenograft model.

Ref: Adapted from Journal of Hematology & Oncology volume 3, Article number: 8 (2010) 

Parg

  • Despite the success of PARP inhibitors, drug resistance is a clinical hurdle. Loss of PAR glycohydrolase (PARG) is identified as a major resistance mechanism. PARG depletion restores PAR formation and partially rescues PARP1 signaling. Thus, PARG ihhibition provides an therapeutic opportunity to sensitize PARP inhibitors further.

  • Additionally, PARG inhibition disrupts DNA damage repair cycle and leads to cell death. PARG depleted/ inhibited cells show increased sensitivity to DNA damage agents.

Eva Gogola et al, Cancer Cell June 2019

KIF18A

  • Chromosomal instability (CIN), characterized by frequent mis-segregation of chromosomes during mitosis, is a hallmark of tumor cells caused by changes in the dynamics and control of microtubules that comprise the mitotic spindle. Thus, CIN tumor cells may respond differently than normal diploid cells to treatments that target mitotic spindle regulation. KIF18A is required for proliferation of CIN cells derived from triple negative breast cancer or colorectal cancer tumors but not in near-diploid cells. CIN tumor cells exhibit mitotic delays, and increased cell death following inhibition of KIF18A. Sensitivity to KIF18A knockdown is strongly correlated with centrosome fragmentation. (Carolyn Marquis et al., Nature Communications, 2021).

Louise Jannsen et al., Current Biology September 2018

USP1

  • USP1 represents a promising target for drug intervention because of its involvement in Translesion synthesis (TLS) and intra-strand crosslink repair important for normal DNA damage response
  • The FA(Fanconi anemia) pathway regulates the repair of DNA crosslinks, a critical step in this pathway is the monoubiquitination and deubiquitination of FANCD2
  • PCNA ubiquitination is central to the normal DNA damage response process in eukaryotes. Its deubiquitimation is important for translesion DNA synthesis.
  • USP1 has been shown to deubiquitinate PCNA and FANCD2 in cells. Inhibition of USP1 causes ubiquitination of PCNA & FANCD2 leading to accummulation of damaged DNA leading to cell death

García-Santisteban, Iraia, et al., Molecular cancer 12.1 (2013): 1-12.

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