SAN FRANCISCO, June 28, 2023 (PRNewswire) - Shasqi, Inc. (“Shasqi”) a clinical stage biotech company, whose mission is to revolutionize cancer treatment with click chemistry, today announced the expansion of its Click Activated Protodrugs Against Cancer (CAPAC ®) platform with a pivotal manuscript describing the preclinical development of SQ2201, a novel cancer therapy. SQ2201 comprises a systemically administered tumor targeting agent that binds to the HER2 receptor (SQT01), paired with an MMAE protodrug (SQP22), which is activated at the site of the tumor via a click chemistry reaction. SQ2201 showed potent anti-tumor effects in mice that surpassed those seen with a biosimilar of disitamab vedotin, a conventional ADC which targets the same antigen and delivers the same payload. The manuscript is published in the peer-reviewed journal ACS Central Science.
“By decoupling the targeting agent from the payload, our unique approach has the potential to expand on the promise of ADCs,” said José M. Mejía Oneto, M.D., Ph.D., Shasqi CEO and founder. “Our systemic HER2 antigen targeting agent opens up a new area for our CAPAC platform, unlocking our library of payloads to the world of targeted therapeutics. We are excited to continue expanding the possibilities of our technology.”
This work builds on the clinical validation achieved with SQ3370. In a phase 1 study, click chemistry was used to activate up to 12-times the conventional dose of doxorubicin, with a more favorable toxicity profile. Tumor localization of click chemistry in this instance was achieved through an intratumorally injected biopolymer. A phase 2 study is ongoing.
Shasqi’s unique CAPAC® (Click Activated Protodrugs Against Cancer) platform uses 2022 Nobel Prize winning technology, click chemistry, to target high doses of cancer drugs directly to the site of the tumor while minimizing toxicity to healthy cells, potentially improving the therapeutic index by dramatically altering the exposure.
Over the past decade, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have transformed tumor-targeted drug delivery. CAPAC builds on this foundation, changing what’s possible with an approach that expands on the advances achieved by ADCs. Shasqi has developed an expansive and diverse library of antigen targeting agents and cancer therapeutic payloads. These are decoupled from each other and reunited at the site of the tumor via a click chemistry reaction. We are the first company to use click chemistry in humans.
Shasqi is advancing the development of new tumor targeting agents and protodrugs on an ongoing basis and is in active collaboration with partners in the biopharmaceutical industry to expand the CAPAC library of payloads and antigen targets.
Follow Shasqi on social media
