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The dream is not dead, apparently.

With no lead drug and about one year from clinical trials, Aileron Therapeutics has raised a whopping $40M USD from the venture arms of several global pharma giants to advance the firm’s “Stapled Peptide” technology. The list includes (venture/pharma parent…if applicable):

• SR One Ltd (GlaxoSmithKline)

• Excel Medical Fund

• Apple Tree Partners (founding investor of Aileron)

• Novartis Venture Fund

• Lilly Ventures

• Roche Venture Fund

Here’s what Michael Diem, Partner at SR One, said:

“We believe that Stapled Peptides could represent a ˜fourth estate’ in therapeutics, emerging as a major class akin to small molecules, antibodies and vaccines. The strength of the technology and team at Aileron will ultimately lead to a fundamental paradigm shift in how disease is treated and we are thrilled to be a part of Aileron’s future.”

Aileron’s “Stapled Peptides” are therapeutic peptides that bind active sites on various targets. Aileron makes the peptide with two amino acids inserted at two different points along the peptide. They then introduce a Ruthenium-based catalyst to link the amino acids together, which in turn holds the shape/conformity of the peptide. This prevents the peptide from degrading (more easily?) and allows for more precise attack on the intended target. It also allows for the ability to hit targets that can not be accessed by other therapeutic types, such as small molecules.

You can watch the video right here.

Our questions are:

1. Does the Ruthenium stay in the peptide or is that extracted during manufacturing (Ru is $$$ btw, so I’m thinking $$$ manufacturing?)…

2. What are the two amino acids and what exactly holds them together?

3. What sort of preclinical efficacy and toxicity data has the company generated.

Of course, private companies will never release ALL of this info, or perhaps any of it. Even public companies don’t. So, without knowing much else we have to assume there’s something decent here. We’ll await a lead drug I suppose.

Check out Aileron’s Nature publication on how its technology can target an entire apoptotic pathway.

Congrats on the further dilution and the 4-0.

Thoughts?

Check out Pharmalive or Xconomy for more…

Anonymous Tip? Comments? Contact us: hr AT iguanabio DOT com

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