MALVERN, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Progenra, Inc. announced today it has entered in to a research collaboration with Dr. Toshihiro Nakajima, Professor, Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo Medical University. Professor Nakajima discovered the Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) biomarker and therapeutic target Synoviolin/Hrd1, a ubiquitin E3 ligase overexpressed in RA patients; it is believed Synoviolin inhibition will be therapeutically beneficial. Under the collaboration, Progenra will work with Professor Nakajima to bring existing inhibitors to market and to utilize Progenra’s UbiPro™ Drug Discovery Platform to identify additional inhibitors.
“We are pleased that Progenra will work with such an accomplished researcher as Professor Nakajima and are confident our drug discovery experience coupled with his knowledge of RA and Synoviolin will bring to market a novel treatment for patients suffering from this debilitating disease,” said Dr. Tauseef Butt, President, Progenra.
About Rheumatoid Arthritis. RA, whose cause is unknown, is an autoimmune disease, wherein the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. Proportionately more women than men suffer from RA and it is most likely to strike during middle age. RA affects over 1% of the world’s population, with only palliative therapies currently available. The ubiquitin pathway, recently exploited to discover drugs against various diseases, plays a vital role in regulating cellular protein metabolism by either targeting proteins for proteasomal degradation or sparing them. It is believed that this approach, regulating specific target protein activity, is innately selective, unlike alternative approaches.
About Progenra, Inc. Founded in 2002, Progenra seeks to discover and develop high value medicines exploiting ubiquitin pathways. Its early stage portfolio addresses unmet needs in cancer, inflammation, metabolic diseases, pathogen infection, muscle wasting, and neurodegeneration. Utilizing its world-class UbiPro™ Drug Discovery Platform, Progenra identifies novel modulators of ubiquitin targets as potential drugs exploiting the roles of ubiquitin in disease. Progenra’s discovery platform is supported by internal biochemical, biological target validation and chemistry lead optimization. For more information please visit Progenra’s website www.progenra.com.
About Tokyo Medical University. Tokyo Medical University was founded in 1918 with the philosophy of fostering physicians who may contribute greatly to society through medicine, and educating them with the skills and knowledge needed and with a strong sense of humanity. For more information about the university, visit their website at http://www.tokyo-med.ac.jp/e-tmuhp/text/guideuniver.htm.