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SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Circle Pharma, a leader in macrocycle drug discovery and development, announced the submission of its first Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for CID-078, a first-and-only-in-class cyclin A/B RxL inhibitor. This milestone marks a significant advancement in the development of novel drug candidates generated by Circle’s proprietary MXMO™ platform for difficult-to-drug targets in oncology and other serious illnesses.
CID-078 is an orally bioavailable macrocycle that has shown preclinical efficacy across multiple tumor types characterized by high E2F expression, including small cell lung cancer, triple negative breast cancer, ER-low breast cancer, and HR-positive breast cancer following a CDK 4/6-inhibitor. The IND submission includes comprehensive data from preclinical studies which have demonstrated a safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetic profile of CID-078 to support the proposed phase 1 trial.
CID-078 is designed to selectively inhibit key protein-to-protein interactions involving cyclins A and B, which are implicated in the proliferation and survival of cancer cells. Cyclins are a family of proteins that function as master regulators of the cell cycle. Early work in the laboratory of Nobel Laureate and Circle Pharma’s Scientific Advisory Board Chair William G. Kaelin Jr., MD, showed that disrupting the function of cyclins in certain types of cancer cells that had dysregulated cell cycle control was synthetic lethal – meaning that these cancer cells were selectively killed while the viability of normal cells was unaffected.1 The mechanism of action of CID-078 offers a novel therapeutic approach to potentially address unmet medical needs in patients with advanced solid tumors who currently have limited therapeutic choices.
“I am proud that we have reached this critical milestone in the development of CID-078,” said David J. Earp, CEO of Circle Pharma. “Our team has worked diligently to advance this promising candidate from discovery through preclinical development. The IND filing represents a major step forward in our mission to harness the power of macrocycle therapies to create effective treatments for cancer and other serious illnesses.”
“We believe, based on our preclinical data package, that CID-078 has the potential to provide a transformative therapeutic option for patients with cancer,” said Michael Cox, PharmD, MHSc, BCOP, head of Early Development and senior vice president. “We are excited to advance CID-078 into clinical studies. This step underscores our commitment to develop innovative therapeutics that target challenging and previously undruggable proteins.”
Pending regulatory approval, Circle Pharma plans to initiate a phase 1 clinical trial of CID-078 in patients with advanced solid tumor malignancies. The dose escalation and dose expansion portions of the trial will evaluate safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics, as well as anti-tumor activity as assessed by objective response rate and duration of response.
About CID-078, Circle Pharma’s Cyclin A/B RxL Inhibitor Program
CID-078 is an orally bioavailable macrocycle with dual cyclin A and B RxL inhibitory activity that selectively targets tumor cells with oncogenic alterations that cause cell cycle dysregulation. In biochemical and cellular studies, Circle’s cyclin A/B RxL inhibitors have been shown to potently and selectively disrupt the protein-to-protein interaction between cyclins A and B and their key substrates and modulators, including E2F (a substrate of cyclin A) and Myt1 (a modulator of cyclin B). Preclinical studies have demonstrated the ability of these cyclin A/B RxL inhibitors to cause single-agent tumor regressions in multiple xenograft models.
About Circle Pharma, Inc.
South San Francisco-based Circle Pharma is advancing the discovery and development of intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles that can be delivered by multiple routes, including oral administration. Circle Pharma’s MXMO™ platform combines structure-based rational drug design and advanced synthetic chemistry to develop a new generation of macrocycle therapies for challenging targets to address unmet clinical needs. Circle Pharma is focusing its development efforts on cyclins, which are master regulators of the machinery that controls the progression of cells through the cell cycle and are key drivers in many cancers.
To learn more about Circle Pharma, please visit www.circlepharma.com.
1 Chen et al., PNAS 96, 4235 (1999)
Contacts
Roslyn Patterson
650.825.4099
roslyn.patterson@circlepharma.com
Read original article at Business Wire
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Circle Pharma, in collaboration with the laboratory of Violeta Serra, Ph.D., at Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) in Barcelona, Spain, recently unveiled preclinical data demonstrating the efficacy of Circle’s oral Cyclin A/B inhibitor macrocycles in patient-derived breast cancer tumor models. This significant development was presented at the 2023 AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics.
The study in 40 breast cancer cell lines identified an association between hallmark pathway scores in E2F, G2/M, and mitotic spindle pathways and sensitivity to Cyclin A/B inhibition. Most notably, multiple triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines and luminal B breast cancer cell lines displayed sensitivity to Cyclin A/B inhibition. These findings were instrumental in selecting TNBC and luminal breast cancer patient-derived tumor models for subsequent in vivo efficacy studies. In these in vivo studies, oral administration of Circle’s Cyclin A/B inhibitor led to substantial tumor regression in both TNBC and luminal breast cancer models, with complete response observed in a luminal B breast cancer model derived from a patient whose tumor had previously progressed following multiple treatments, including with a CDK4/6 inhibitor.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women globally. Triple negative breast cancer, which accounts for 10-20% of all breast cancer cases, is an aggressive and challenging subtype of breast cancer, associated with poor prognosis and high risk of relapse1. Because TNBC lacks specific receptors (estrogen, progesterone, or HER2) that some other breast cancers have, many newer therapies used to target these receptors in other forms of breast cancer are not effective. Luminal breast cancers are hormone receptor-positive and generally less aggressive than TNBC. Luminal breast cancers can be further divided into two subtypes: luminal A (HR+/ER+/HER2+) and luminal B (HR+/PR+/HER2-). These two subtypes make up about 70% of all breast cancer cases2.
Dr. Serra expressed optimism about the results, stating, “The responses in both TNBC and luminal breast cancer models are very compelling, and we look forward to evaluating the effects of these first-in-class Cyclin A/B inhibitors in additional models in future studies.”
“October is breast cancer awareness month; at Circle our mission is to bring new therapies and new hope to patients who have limited treatment options, and this new research indicates that we may have an opportunity to do just that for patients with breast cancer. We will work assiduously to bring this first-in-class therapy to patients,” said David J. Earp, JD, PhD, Circle Pharma’s chief executive officer.
Building on the success demonstrated in small cell lung cancer and ovarian cancer models, Circle Pharma plans to file an investigational new drug (IND) application for its Cyclin A/B inhibitor clinical candidate, CID-078, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and initiate clinical development in 2024.
ABOUT CIRCLE PHARMA’S CYCLIN A/B INHIBITOR PROGRAM
Circle Pharma has developed an orally bioavailable macrocycle with dual cyclin A and B inhibitory activity that drives synthetic lethality in multiple tumor types. In biochemical and cellular studies, Circle’s Cyclin A/B inhibitor has been shown to potently and selectively disrupt the protein-protein interaction between Cyclins A and B and their key substrates, including E2F (a substrate of Cyclin A) and Myt1 (a substrate of Cyclin B). Preclinical studies have demonstrated the ability of these cyclin A/B inhibitors to cause pronounced tumor regression in multiple xenograft models. Circle Pharma plans to file an investigational new drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its clinical candidate, CID-078, and initiate clinical development in 2024.
ABOUT CIRCLE PHARMA, INC.
South San Francisco-based Circle Pharma is advancing the discovery and development of intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles that can be delivered by multiple routes, including oral administration. Circle Pharma’s MXMO™ platform combines structure-based rational drug design and advanced synthetic chemistry to develop first-in-class macrocycle therapeutics for challenging targets to address unmet clinical needs. Circle Pharma is focusing its development efforts on cyclins, which are master regulators of the machinery that controls the progression of cells through the cell cycle and are key drivers in many cancers.
To learn more about Circle Pharma, please visit www.circlepharma.com.
1 American Society of Clinical Oncology. (2017 May) Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Current Practice and Future Directions. Ricardo L.B. Costa and William J. Gradishar.
2 Nature. (2000; 406) Molecular portraits of human breast tumours. Perou CM, Sorlie T, Eisen MB, et al.
Contacts
About Circle Pharma
Media Contact:
Roslyn Patterson
650.825.4099
Info@povconsultantgroup.com
Read original article at Business Wire
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Circle Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company advancing the discovery and development of intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles, today announced an upcoming poster presentation at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, taking place from October 11-15, 2023, in Boston, MA.
Details of the presentation are as follows:
Title: Novel orally bioavailable macrocycles that target cyclin A and B elicit antitumor activity in breast cancer patient-derived xenograft models
Presenter: Mariana Paes Dias, Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology, Barcelona, Spain
Abstract Number: LB_C04
Session: Poster Session C
Date/Time: Saturday, Oct 14 12:30-4:00pm
ABOUT CIRCLE PHARMA’S CYCLIN A/B INHIBITOR PROGRAM
Circle Pharma has developed an orally bioavailable macrocycle with dual cyclin A and B inhibitory activity that drives synthetic lethality in multiple tumor types. In biochemical and cellular studies, Circle’s cyclin A/B inhibitor has been shown to potently and selectively disrupt the protein-protein interaction between Cyclins A and B and their key substrates, including E2F (a substrate of Cyclin A) and Myt1 (a substrate of Cyclin B). Preclinical studies have demonstrated the ability of these cyclin A/B inhibitors to cause pronounced tumor regression in multiple xenograft models. Circle Pharma plans to file an investigational new drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its clinical candidate, CID-078, and initiate clinical development in 2024.
ABOUT CIRCLE PHARMA, INC.
South San Francisco-based Circle Pharma is advancing the discovery and development of intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles that can be delivered by multiple routes, including oral administration. Circle Pharma’s MXMO™ platform combines structure-based rational drug design and advanced synthetic chemistry to develop first-in-class macrocycle therapeutics for challenging targets to address unmet clinical needs. Circle Pharma is focusing its development efforts on cyclins, which are master regulators of the machinery that controls progression of cells through the cell cycle and are key drivers in many cancers.
To learn more about Circle Pharma, please visit www.circlepharma.com.
Circle Pharma Media Contact:
Roslyn Patterson
650.825.4099
info@povconsultantgroup.com
Read original article at Business Wire
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Circle Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company advancing the discovery and development of intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles, announced today the appointments of Michael Cox, PharmD., MHSc, BCOP as senior vice president, head of Early Development, and Edward Garmey, M.D., as its new consulting chief medical officer. These additions to the leadership team further bolster Circle Pharma’s capabilities in oncology drug development as it advances its Cyclin A/B inhibitor program into clinical studies.
“We are thrilled to welcome Michael and Edward to Circle Pharma. Their exceptional backgrounds and deep expertise in clinical development and medical affairs will be instrumental in accelerating our efforts to develop groundbreaking oncology therapeutics. We look forward to their contributions as we advance our lead program into the clinic and continue to drive innovation in cancer treatment,” said David Earp, president and CEO of Circle Pharma. “We are in a period of dynamic growth as we prepare to advance our Cyclin A/B inhibitor into clinical studies. With the leadership and expertise of Michael and Edward, the company is well-positioned to bring its transformative macrocycle therapeutics to patients.”
Dr. Michael Cox will play a crucial role in driving the company’s clinical development mission, providing strategic leadership, and overseeing the execution of early-stage clinical programs. He has held key leadership positions in oncology drug development, including serving as vice president, Clinical Development at Day One Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., where he successfully led global oncology programs across all stages of development, including leading the development and regulatory strategy for tovorafinib, an investigational pan-RAF kinase inhibitor that has been granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Previously, Dr. Cox was the executive director of Pediatric Clinical Development and Medical Affairs at Loxo Oncology Inc. (acquired by Eli Lilly and Co.) and contributed to the development of multiple oncology assets including larotrectinib, selitrectinib and selpercatinib. Earlier in his career, he held roles at Bayer Healthcare AG, Merck KGaA, and Amgen.
Dr. Cox holds a Master’s of Health Science in Clinical Research from Duke University, a Doctorate of Pharmacy from Ohio Northern University, and completed post-graduate training at the National Cancer Institute, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina.
In addition to Dr. Cox’s appointment, Circle Pharma is pleased to welcome Edward Garmey, M.D., as the new consulting Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Garmey will provide clinical strategy leadership and medical expertise, guiding the clinical development of the company’s pipeline programs and fostering strong partnerships with key stakeholders. He is a highly regarded former academic hematologist-oncologist with over 17 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. Dr. Garmey has served as Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President at Cerulean Pharma, where he led the initiation of multi-national clinical trials for multiple drug programs and played a key role in the company’s successful IPO. Earlier in his career, he was the Vice President of Clinical Development at ArQule.
Dr. Garmey is an alumnus of Harvard and New York Universities and completed medical training at Mount Sinai Medical Center, the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He also undertook research fellowships at the National Institutes of Health and the Botswana-Harvard Partnership for H.I.V. Research.
About Circle Pharma, Inc.
South San Francisco-based Circle Pharma is advancing the discovery and development of intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles that can be delivered by multiple routes, including oral administration. Circle Pharma’s MXMO™ platform combines structure-based rational drug design and advanced synthetic chemistry to develop first-in-class macrocycle therapeutics for challenging targets to address unmet clinical needs. Circle Pharma is focusing its development efforts on cyclins, which are master regulators of the machinery that controls progression of cells through the cell cycle and are key drivers in many cancers.
To learn more about Circle Pharma please visit www.circlepharma.com.
Contacts
Circle Pharma Media Contact:
Roslyn Patterson
650.825.4099
info@povconsultantgroup.com
Read original article at Business Wire
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., July 19, 2023— Circle Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company advancing the discovery and development of intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles, announced today the selection of CID-078 for its first clinical development program. CID-078 is the first-and-only-in-class dual inhibitor of Cyclins A and B, which play essential roles in regulating cell cycle progression. Inhibiting Cyclins A and B selectively induces synthetic lethality in certain cancers exhibiting cell cycle dysregulation while sparing healthy cells.
Circle Pharma recently presented pre-clinical data for its dual Cyclin A/B inhibitors at this year’s American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting. The data demonstrated activity across a wide range of human tumor cell lines including tumor regression in xenograft models of small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and ovarian cancer. SCLC has a five-year survival rate of 3.5%, and its treatment has seen minimal progress in the last 30 years. Ovarian cancer patients commonly face poor outcomes and resistance to the current standard of care. In advance of human clinical trials for CID-078, further preclinical studies using patient-derived models (PDX) are underway in breast cancer (including triple negative breast cancer), non-small cell lung cancer, gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, and other tumor types.
“The selection of CID-078 represents a major milestone for our team; we are excited to advance this molecule into clinical development and to realize its potential to bring new hope for the many cancer patients who currently have woefully inadequate treatment options,” said David Earp, J.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Circle Pharma. “This achievement is also a reflection of the capabilities of our macrocycle discovery platform as the cyclins have until now been considered undruggable.”
ABOUT CID-078
CID-078 is an orally bioavailable macrocycle with dual cyclin A and B inhibitory activity that drives synthetic lethality in multiple tumor types. In biochemical and cellular studies, CID-078 has been shown to potently and selectively disrupt the protein-protein interaction between Cyclins A and B and their key substrates, including E2F (a substrate of Cyclin A) and Myt1 (a substrate of Cyclin B). Preclinical studies have demonstrated the ability of CID-078 to cause pronounced tumor regression in multiple xenograft models. Circle Pharma plans to file an investigational new drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for CID-078 and initiate clinical development in 2024.
ABOUT CIRCLE PHARMA’S MACROCYCLE THERAPEUTICS
Macrocycles are a class of molecules that have properties outside of the conventional “rule of five” for oral small molecule drugs. They have the potential to address important therapeutic targets, such as protein-protein interactions, that are refractory to other drug classes, but their larger size and chemical complexity present additional challenges to drug developers. Circle Pharma’s proprietary technology platform, MXMO™, introduces a highly differentiated ability to develop precision macrocycle therapeutics that are passively cell-permeable and orally bioavailable. Circle Pharma’s macrocycles also have desirable pharmacokinetics, are exquisitely selective, and can be directed to both intra- and extra-cellular therapeutic targets.
ABOUT CIRCLE PHARMA, INC.
South San Francisco-based Circle Pharma is advancing the discovery and development of intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles that can be delivered by multiple routes, including oral administration. Circle Pharma’s MXMO™ platform combines structure-based rational drug design and advanced synthetic chemistry to develop first-in-class macrocycle therapeutics for challenging targets to address unmet clinical needs. Circle Pharma is focusing its development efforts on cyclins, which are master regulators of the machinery that controls progression of cells through the cell cycle and are key drivers in many cancers.
To learn more about Circle Pharma please visit www.circlepharma.com.
Circle Pharma Media Contact:
Roslyn Patterson
650.825.4099
info@povconsultantgroup.com
Read original article at Business Wire
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Circle Pharma announced today that two poster presentations at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting held April 14-19, in Orlando, Florida, highlight promising pre-clinical data of its first-in-class orally bioavailable macrocyclic cyclin A/B inhibitors targeting intractable cancers. Circle expects to advance its cyclin A/B inhibitor program into IND-enabling studies later this year and subsequently into clinical development for testing in a range of cancer types, including SCLC.
The data presented by Circle Pharma shows activity across a wide range of human tumor cell lines and tumor regression in xenograft models of small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and ovarian cancer. Pre-clinical development of orally bioavailable macrocycles with dual cyclin A and B inhibitory activity drive synthetic lethality in multiple tumor types. The compounds are shown to be well-tolerated in mice with no observed body weight loss, neutropenia, or depletion of bone marrow across all dose regimens. In vitro studies showed that target engagement in cells leads to displacement of E2F1 from Cyclin A:CDK2 and Myt1 from Cyclin B:CDK1, and the compounds induce DNA damage, G2/M arrest, and apoptosis. The presentation further showed that sensitivity in SCLC cell lines is correlated with RB dysfunction and E2F1 target gene expression.
In addition, studies conducted by the laboratory of Matthew Oser at Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) validate that cyclin A/B inhibitors induce mitotic arrest and apoptosis in SCLC cell lines. The researchers deployed a genome wide CRISPR/Cas9 positive selection screen to identify that activation of the mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) complex by the kinase MSP1 is a dominant mechanism for selective cancer cell killing by the cyclin A/B inhibitors. Dr. Oser’s laboratory at DFCI was sponsored by Circle Pharma.
| Program | Presentation Details |
|---|---|
| Cyclin A/B | Abstract Number: 1559 Abstract Title: Mechanisms responsible for hypersensitivity of small cell lung cancers to novel cyclin A/B RxL macrocyclic peptide inhibitors Session Title: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics Session Type: Poster |
| Cyclin A/B | Abstract Number: 1560 Abstract Title: Orally bioavailable macrocycles that target cyclins A and B RxL motifs cause tumor regression in xenograft models and in vitro show activity across multiple cancer types Session Title: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics Session Type: Poster |
About Circle Pharma, Inc.
Circle is a biopharmaceutical company advancing the discovery and development of intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles that can be delivered by multiple routes, including oral administration. Circle’s MXMO™ platform combines structure-based rational drug design and advanced synthetic chemistry to develop first-in-class macrocycle therapeutics for challenging targets to address unmet clinical needs. Circle’s macrocycle can address both intra- and extra-cellular therapeutic targets and is applicable across a wide range of serious diseases; the company is initially focusing its development efforts on intracellular protein-protein interactions that are key drivers in cancer but have remained elusive to other treatment modalities. Circle is headquartered in South San Francisco and has raised $160 million to date from leading life sciences investors including The Column Group, Nextech, Pfizer and Eli Lilly.
To learn more about Circle Pharma please visit www.circlepharma.com.
Contacts
Circle Pharma Media Contact:
Eleanor Lim
650.825.4099
info@circlepharma.com
Read original article at Business Wire
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Circle Pharma, a company focused on developing macrocycle therapeutics against targets previously considered to be undruggable, has appointed Stephen Kelsey as an independent member of its Board of Directors. Dr. Kelsey has extensive experience in oncology clinical development. He currently serves as president, head of research and development and chief medical officer at Revolution Medicines (NASDAQ:RVMD), and previously held roles including president of Onkaido Therapeutics, the oncology-focused unit of Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA), senior vice president of new products at Medivation (acquired by Pfizer (NYSE:PFE)), executive vice president and chief medical officer at Geron Corporation (NASDAQ:GERN), vice president of oncology at Genentech (part of the Roche Group) and medical director at Pharmacia / SUGEN (acquired by Pfizer). Dr. Kelsey has had key roles in the development of many oncology therapeutics including Sutent®, Perjeta®, Kadcycla®, Erivedge® and imetelstat.
“I’m delighted to welcome Steve to our Board,” said David J. Earp, JD, PhD, Circle’s president and CEO. “We expect to initiate IND-enabling studies in our lead program, an orally bioavailable cyclin A inhibitor, in 2023, and are building the clinical team that will support this program as it enters clinical development. In parallel, we are progressing our pipeline of other targeted oncology therapeutics. Steve has extensive experience in early oncology clinical development, including building successful development teams, and I look forward to working with him closely as Circle progresses to become a clinical-stage company.”
“Circle’s macrocycle platform offers a new approach to important oncology targets that have proven refractory to other modalities, and I have been impressed by the quality of the pre-clinical work and the broad clinical potential of the company’s lead cyclin A program,” noted Dr. Kelsey. “I’m excited to join Circle’s Board and to help the company bring its promising therapies to cancer patients.”
Dr. Kelsey received his medical degrees from the University of Birmingham in the UK and trained as a hematologic oncologist at Barts and The London Hospital where he was a clinician-scientist focused in leukemias and lymphomas.
About Circle Pharma, Inc.
Circle is a pre-clinical stage company deploying a platform that combines structure-based rational drug design and advanced synthetic chemistry to develop first-in-class macrocycle therapeutics for challenging targets to address unmet clinical needs. Circle’s technology facilitates the design and synthesis of intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles that can address both intra- and extra-cellular therapeutic targets, and can be delivered by multiple routes, including oral administration. Circle’s macrocycle drug discovery & development platform is applicable across a wide range of serious diseases; the company is initially focusing its development efforts on intracellular protein-protein interactions that are key drivers in cancer. Its pipeline targets include cyclin proteins, including cyclins A and E, which are part of the regulatory machinery that controls progression of cells through the cell cycle. Inhibition of cyclin A has been reported to be synthetic lethal to cancer cells that carry mutations causing dysregulation of the Rb pathway – such mutations are frequently found in small cell lung cancer. Cyclin E upregulation is found in many tumor types including uterine and ovarian cancer and is often associated with resistance to widely used cancer therapies, including trastuzumab and cdk4/6 inhibitors.
Contacts
More information: www.circlepharma.com
Contact: info@circlepharma.com
Eleonor Lim: 650.825.4099
Read original article at Business Wire
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Circle Pharma, a company focused on developing macrocycle therapeutics against targets previously considered to be undruggable, has appointed Paul Park, MBA, as its Chief Business Officer. Mr. Park has extensive business development experience in life sciences in prior roles including vice president of business development at Ionis Pharmaceuticals, head of strategic partnerships at Aetion and various roles in international licensing, strategy and corporate development at Amgen. He joins the leadership team at Circle as the company is advancing its lead program, an orally bioavailable Cyclin A inhibitor, towards the clinic and applying its macrocycle platform to expand its pipeline which includes other targeted oncology therapeutics.
“Paul has a strong record of leading deals including large pharma partnerships, major M&A transactions, licensing and financings, as well as strategic corporate development experience,” noted David J. Earp, JD, PhD, Circle’s president and CEO. “We’re delighted to welcome him at an exciting time: our lead program is moving towards the clinic in a target space – cyclins and cyclin dependent kinases – that is generating a lot of interest, and we are growing our pipeline.”
“I’ve been impressed by the capabilities of Circle’s macrocycle platform to address key challenges that have stymied macrocycle drug developers, including achieving robust cell permeability and oral bioavailability, as exemplified by the company’s Cyclin A program,” noted Mr. Park. “I am looking forward to helping the Circle team to harness the platform against other challenging targets that will hopefully yield new treatment options for patients with unmet medical needs.”
Mr. Park led the Ionis team that orchestrated numerous significant transactions including most recently the co-development and co-commercialization deal with AstraZeneca for eplontersen, the spin-out of Ionis’ oncology portfolio to Flamingo Therapeutics, and in-licensing transactions with Bicycle Therapeutics and Genuity Sciences. Earlier in his career at Amgen he played key roles in the acquisitions of Tularik and Immunex. He obtained an AB in health and society from Brown University and an MBA in healthcare management from The Wharton School.
About Circle Pharma, Inc.
Circle is a pre-clinical stage company deploying a platform that combines structure-based rational drug design and advanced synthetic chemistry to develop first-in-class macrocycle therapeutics for challenging targets to address unmet clinical needs. Circle’s technology facilitates the design and synthesis of intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles that can address both intra- and extra-cellular therapeutic targets, and can be delivered by multiple routes, including oral administration. Circle’s macrocycle drug discovery & development platform is applicable across a wide range of serious diseases; the company is initially focusing its development efforts on intracellular protein-protein interactions that are key drivers in cancer. Its pipeline targets include cyclin proteins, including cyclins A and E, which are part of the regulatory machinery that controls progression of cells through the cell cycle. Inhibition of cyclin A has been reported to be synthetic lethal to cancer cells that carry mutations causing dysregulation of the Rb pathway – such mutations are frequently found in small cell lung cancer. Cyclin E upregulation is found in many tumor types including uterine and ovarian cancer and is often associated with resistance to widely used cancer therapies, including trastuzumab and cdk4/6 inhibitors.
Contacts
More information: www.circlepharma.com
Contact: info@circlepharma.com
Eleonor Lim: 650.825.4099
Read original article at Business Wire
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Circle Pharma, a pre-clinical stage company focused on developing macrocycle therapeutics against targets previously considered to be undruggable, will present a poster at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting being held April 8-13, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Company’s presentation will provide details of its progress towards structure-guided macrocycles that inhibit the protein-protein interaction between the cyclin A:CDK2 complex and key substrates that are phosphorylated by this complex. Inhibition of Cyclin A substrate binding has been postulated to be synthetic lethal in Rb mutated cancers. The data presented include evidence that macrocycle inhibitors of cyclin A induce G2/M arrest and apoptosis in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cell lines and have anti-tumor efficacy in SCLC xenograft animal models. Circle plans to advance its cyclin A inhibitor program to the clinic for testing in a range of cancer types, including SCLC where Rb mutations are highly prevalent.
The presentation will be made as part of the Mechanisms of Drug Action / Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics session at the AACR meeting, Abstract No. 5379.
About Circle Pharma, Inc.
Circle is a pre-clinical stage company deploying a platform that combines structure-based rational drug design and advanced synthetic chemistry to develop first-in-class macrocycle therapeutics for challenging targets to address unmet clinical needs. Circle’s technology facilitates the design and synthesis of intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles that can address both intra- and extra-cellular therapeutic targets, and can be delivered by multiple routes, including oral administration. Circle’s macrocycle drug discovery & development platform is applicable across a wide range of serious diseases; the company is initially focusing its development efforts on intracellular protein-protein interactions that are key drivers in cancer. Its lead programs target cyclin proteins, including cyclins A and E, which are part of the regulatory machinery that controls progression of cells through the cell cycle. Inhibition of cyclin A has been reported to be synthetic lethal to cancer cells that carry mutations causing dysregulation of the Rb pathway – such mutations are frequently found in small cell lung cancer. Cyclin E upregulation is found in many tumor types including uterine and ovarian cancer and is often associated with resistance to widely used cancer therapies, including trastuzumab and cdk4/6 inhibitors.
Contacts
More information: www.circlepharma.com
Contact: info@circlepharma.com
Eleonor Lim: 650.825.4099
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