Leiden, The Netherlands, October 18, 2024 – VRG Therapeutics (VRG Tx), a biotechnology research and development company leveraging a proprietary Generative AI-powered in silico and wet lab screening platform to develop miniprotein-based pharmaceutical products, has successfully extended the half-life of its Kv1.3-targeting lead molecule, enabling once-monthly dosing for patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) upon reaching the market.
New data received this month confirm that VRG Tx’s Kv1.3 inhibitor maintains its best-in-class affinity and selectivity, now enhanced with an extended half-life, as demonstrated by invivo pharmacokinetics (PK) studies. This breakthrough modification enabling monthly dosing represents a significant advantage for patients with moderate-to-severe AD, increasing convenience of treatment.
“The half-life extension was made possible by the incorporation of a fusion protein domain which preserved the exceptional characteristics of our lead compound, allowing it to retain a wide safety window. This development holds the promise of being the first treatment in the AD field with such a low administration frequency,” said Zalán Péterfi, CEO and Co-founder of VRG Tx.
This advancement is expected to provide clinically meaningful differentiation from existing and emerging therapies due to its superior safety provided by the clinically validated Kv1.3's immune-sparing mechanism of action, and improved patient adherence through convenient dosing. Current treatments like monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) require bi-weekly injections with a less favorable safety profile compared to Kv1.3 inhibitors. While JAK inhibitors offer convenience, they carry higher infection risks and uncertain long-term safety. Kv1.3 inhibitors, with a best-in-class VRG Tx compound, deliver both high safety and efficacy, fulfilling the current unmet need in the AD field.
VRG Tx is currently raising a Series B round to advance its Kv1.3 program through clinical proof-of-concept trial and is in discussions with investors and potential pharma partners.
About VRG Tx: VRG Therapeutics is an innovative biotechnology R&D company that combines AI-powered protein design with NGS-based advanced analytics. VRG Tx designs novel therapeutic candidates with unprecedented selectivity and affinity through an accelerated discovery process. The company’s AI-MPRO miniprotein drug discovery platform enables the de novo creation of miniprotein scaffolds for virtually any target with unmatched speed and quality, integrating computational biology and wet lab screening platform.
VRG Tx’s miniprotein-based portfolio addresses major unmet clinical needs, including autoimmune diseases, inflammation, and oncology. The company has raised USD 11 million to date (USD 3.5 million in seed funding, USD 2 million in grants, and USD 5.5 million in Series A financing) and is led by an experienced team.
About miniproteins: Miniproteins, which combine the benefits of small molecules and biologics, are next-generation therapeutic peptides stabilized by disulfide bridges to form a robust non-immunogenic structure. These peptides offer the precision and high potency of mAbs in a smaller size allowing enhanced tissue penetration. VRG Tx focuses on precision targeting of well-validated but difficult targets which are beyond the reach of mAbs due to steric limitations and other peptide modalities due to lack of affinity/selectivity. As a result, miniproteins derived from VRG Tx’s AI-MPRO platform provide novel therapeutic solutions for previously undruggable targets and inaccessible mechanisms of action.
Contact:
Zalán Péterfi MD, PhD Managing Director
zalan.peterfi@vrgtherapeutics.com
