[Press Release] Deargen, Signed a Strategic Technology Agreement with Uppthera for Discovering PROTAC Drug Candidates using AI.
- Deargen Inc. signed a strategic technology partnership agreement with Uppthera Inc.
- PROTAC drug candidates’ discovery will be accelerated by searching for target protein binder, E3 ligase binder using AI technology.
Uppthera Inc. that is a domestic PROTAC-based drug development company joined hands with Deargen Inc. that is an AI-based drug development platform company. It is going to discover PROTAC drug candidates using artificial intelligence technology. On the 7th, Uppthera Inc. and Deargen Inc. recently announced that they have signed a strategic technology partnership agreement on the AI-based PROTAC drug development.
PROTAC (PROteolysis TArgeting Chimera, target proteolysis technology) is attracting attention as a newdrug development platform because it can not only degrade the disease-causing proteins but also target undruggable protein targets as new therapeutics. Active research development and investment are being made by focusing on US bio ventures such as Arvinas, etc. and many multinational pharmaceutical companies.
Through this agreement, both two companies plan to quickly investigate and discover the target protein binder and E3 ligase binder that are components of PROTAC drugs through artificial intelligence.
Uppthera Inc. that is founded in July last year is challenging the development of drugs for metabolic diseases and blood cancer by using the PROTAC platform. Especially, it is interesting that most of the core personnel including CEO & Co-Founder Choi Si-woo are from Celltrion Inc. Through this agreement, Uppthera Inc. plans to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the discovery of PROTAC drug candidates through artificial intelligence technology.
Choi Si-woo who is CEO of Upptera Inc. said, “We will speed up R & D and reduce the development gap with global leading companies by actively utilizing Deargen’s AI technology in discovering PROTAC drug candidates that are currently being aggressively progressed.”
Deargen that is established in 2016 is developing an in-silico-based drug candidate discovery platform by using artificial intelligence technology. DearDTI platform that Deargen’s AI technology is intensive presents a Library of compounds that can bind to the target protein in a short time if typing data, including target protein information.
Kang Gil-soo who is CEO of Deargen Inc. said, “This agreement with Upptera will be a great opportunity to verify Deargen’s AI technology. If the optimal model is completed through continuous reinforcement learning in the future, it will not only replace some of the time-consuming and costly traditional screening methods, but it will also be an innovative platform for uncovering new drug possibilities for a variety of compounds not previously found.”