Session1-6 Disulfide-Rich Peptides, promising scaffolds for pharmaceuticals, agrichemicals and cosmetics.

Tadashi Kimura ~Biotechnology Research Institute for Drug Discovery, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology～

[Summary]

[Entrepreneurial Background]
We have created a revolutionary Periplasmic Peptide Display (PERISS) technique in our own unique way for medium molecule drug discovery. We are in the process of starting a venture business to pursue the development of therapeutic agents using disulfide-rich peptides by applying our proprietary PERISS technique. The venture aims to meet unmet medical needs and to deal with the rising healthcare costs associated with the use of biologics, thereby contributing to advances in medicine across the globe.

[New Technology Overview].
Firstly, I mention PERISS (Intra Periplasm Secretion and Selection) technique. It is the world's only technology that can create novel disulfide-rich peptides　conveniently. We established this technology two years ago with usage of E. coli periplasmic space as a reaction field, co-expressing a target molecule in inner membrane and peptide libraries in periplasmic space. The characteristics are simultaneous preparations of the target molecule and the peptide library, and one step screening for high affinity peptides. Secondly, I mention disulfide-rich peptides. A disulfide-rich peptide consists of up to 50 amino acids and incorporates between one and four disulfide-bonds. Disulfide-rich peptides are promising scaffolds for drug discovery as a result of their remarkably high chemical stabilities in comparison to linear peptides. In addition, it is known that many disulfide-rich peptides act on various ion channels.

[Technology Verification & Market size]
To take advantage of the unique characteristics, we have applied PERISS technique for ion channel drug discovery. The dysfunction of ion channels caused many diseases, such as pain, hypertension, epilepsy, gastric ulcer, cerebral infarction and myocardial infarction. However, the study for ion channel drug discovery has been far from enough due to no base material for rational drug design. We are collaborating on ion channel drug discovery with some pharmaceutical company by applying PERISS technique. The performances for three targets in the screening were completed successfully. PERISS, which generates bioactive peptides with better efficacy profile than existing drugs, can be useful for drug development. The global market for ion channel drugs is approximately 140 billion dollars, and is to be expected to significantly expand in the future.

[Business Model & Our team]
Our start-up company concentrates management resources in creation of innovative drug pipelines, driving research and development projects in alliances and partnerships with academia, biotech companies, pharmaceutical companies and VCs. Major sales consist of front money income of alliances, partnerships and licensing out, milestone income of each milestone as the projects progress, and royalty income at a fixed ratio of the post-launch sales turnover. Our team members are the following: CEO, under consideration; CSO, Tadashi Kimura; CTO, Kazuhiko Kurosawa (it's me).

[Conclusion]
If I can summarize what I have said, we have no doubt that we are offering an innovative engine for next generation drug discovery.And now if there are any questions and negotiations, I would be pleased to answer them. Thank you for your attention!

[Profile]

1989 PhD Graduate School of Hokkaido University 1989-2001 Snow Brand Milk Products Co., Ltd. 2001-2003 National Food Research Institute 2003-2015 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2016- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (The presenter was replaced Tadashi Kimura by Kazuhiko Kurosawa) I'm Kazuhiko Kurosawa, a microbiologist, and have more than thirty years of experience in discoveries of useful substances. I had worked at MIT Biology for 12 years. The title is "Disulfide-Rich Peptides, promising scaffolds for pharmaceuticals, agrichemicals and cosmetics". I will give a talk today focused on disulfide-rich peptide discovery technology for innovative pharmaceutical products.