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Complex science is the name of the game in the burgeoning field of omics. But when it comes to chemoproteomics, or chemical proteomics, there is one simple analogy to understand what it means for drug discovery. Each covalent small molecule is a kind of “bait” that’s “designed to attract a specific type of fish,” explained Ping Cao, CEO and co-founder of BridGene Biosciences.
The company’s platform, IMTAC, uses chemoproteomics to analyze the interactions between potential drug compounds and cellular proteins to discover targets previously considered “undruggable.” It accomplishes this by screening covalent small molecules against proteins to find ones they can bind with.
“These fish represent the protein,” he said. “When covalent small molecules are introduced into the live cells, the selectivity will capture different proteins, much like different types of bait attract different types of fish species.”
So far, the bait is catching fish.
BridGene’s pipeline consists of four candidates in oncology, including a novel TEAD inhibitor to treat advanced solid tumors with hippo pathway dysregulation. The company announced in June that the first patient has been dosed in its phase 1 clinical trial.
Now, Takeda is tapping BridGene’s platform in a new deal to discover novel small molecule candidates for traditionally hard-to-drug targets in immunology and neurology. Under the agreement, worth a potential $770 million, Takeda will pay BridGene $46 million in combined upfront and potential preclinical milestone payments, and more if the company hits certain milestones.
The partnership marks the third time the two companies have worked together, including a pilot program in 2020 and a $500 million drug discovery matchup in 2021.
“We achieved several different preclinical milestones for that deal,” said Irene Yuan, BridGene’s co-founder and executive vice president.
Among the previous deal’s successes were identifying a drug candidate for the “root causes of debilitating neurological disorders” and achieving a second clinical milestone a few months later, according to two 2023 BridGene press releases.
The lowdown on chemoproteomics
Proteomics is one of many different “omics” sciences that study entire sets of biological molecules. Genomics, which involves the genome, is the most well-known, but the field has broadened to include transcriptomics, metabolomics, lipidomics and epigenomics, among others.