Cantabio signs deal with PRF to advance development work on targeting DJ-1 protein small molecule pharmaceutical chaperone drug candidates

The agreement gives Cantabio access to intellectual property derived from the joint research done at Purdue University and Cantabio, further strengthening the company’s intellectual property position in DJ-1 pharmaceutical chaperones, and provides further confidence in the validity of the therapeutic program for PD and neurodegenerative diseases in general.

These drug candidates have now been validated in relevant cell disease model experiments in three separate laboratories, Purdue University, University of Antioquia and Cantabio Pharmaceuticals, thereby further increasing the company’s confidence in taking these forward towards clinical trials.

Pharmaceutical chaperones are small molecules designed to enter cells and serve as molecular scaffolding to prevent or reverse the misfolding and loss of function of proteins. Misfolded proteins are associated with numerous diseases, particularly neurodegenerative diseases including PD and Alzheimer’s disease.

Cantabio has been working on its portfolio of novel pharmaceutical chaperone therapeutic candidates with globally recognized Purdue University neurobiologist Jean-Christophe Rochet, Ph.D. since 2009, with research funding from the Michael J Fox Foundation.

To date, the results from these studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of these molecules in protecting brain PD relevant cell disease models. Dr. Rochet’s laboratory is continuing to collaborate with Cantabio to investigate selected Cantabio drug candidates in primary neuron models of Parkinson’s Disease.

Data from the collaboration will be presented at the 4th World Parkinson Congress in Portland, Oregon on September 20-23, 2016.

Chris Rochet, Ph.D., head of the Rochet Lab at Purdue University said “Identifying small molecules that rescue DJ-1 activity could have a significant impact on the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases involving DJ-1 dysfunction, including Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease.

"Collaborative efforts involving my lab’s expertise in biochemical and cellular mechanisms of Parkinson’s Disease and drug discovery expertise at Cantabio have led to key findings that set the stage for developing disease-modifying therapies. We look forward to continuing this highly productive collaboration with Cantabio.”

Gergely Toth, Ph.D., MBA, CEO of Cantabio Therapeutics, Inc. said, "Our work with Dr. Rochet’s laboratory at Purdue University on our DJ-1 protein targeting pharmaceutical chaperone therapeutic candidates has been important for the commencement and progression of this therapeutic program. We believe that results from our collaboration with Dr. Rochet and also laboratories at the Neuroscience Research Group at the University of Antioquia in Colombia as well as our own in-house research provide overwhelming validation that our pharmaceutical chaperone approach targeting the DJ-1 protein has high therapeutic potential for Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

"It is a key part of Cantabio’s approach to continue building working relationships with academic and industry partners that are at the forefront of science and medicine, and support the development and validation of novel, first-in-class therapeutic candidates towards clinical trials for neurodegenerative diseases.”