Almirall and IRB Barcelona Announce Research Collaboration to Discover Novel Molecular Glue Therapies for Serious Skin Diseases

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Posted on Tuesday, January 18, 2022 10:55 AM

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• The collaboration aims to identify new oral therapies for immunoinflammatory skin diseases with high unmet medical needs using a new therapeutic modality called molecular glue degraders.
• Molecular glue degraders could represent an opportunity to broaden the scope of drug targets with small drug-like molecules that can reprogram natural cellular mechanisms to selectively remove disease-causing proteins from human tissues

BARCELONA, Spain I January 18, 2022 I Almirall, SA (ALM), a global biopharmaceutical company focused on skin health, and IRB Barcelona (the Institute for Biomedicine Research), an independent international research center engaged in basic and applied biomedical sciences, have today announced a research collaboration to identify novel oral treatments for immunoinflammatory skin diseases with still high unmet medical needs using molecular glue degraders, a new therapeutic modality. These monovalent degraders offer a novel route to induce the degradation of potentially pathogenic proteins that cannot be targeted with conventional therapeutic agents.

The collaboration brings together the scientific, dermatological and data analysis knowledge of Almirall with the expertise of the Targeted Protein Degradation and Drug Discovery Laboratory at IRB Barcelona, ​​led by Dr. Cristina Mayor-Ruiz. Recently awarded an ERC Starter Grant, Dr. Mayor-Ruiz is a renowned expert in targeted protein degradation and a pioneering researcher in the areas of rational screening of molecular glues as well as elucidation of their mechanism of action. Thanks to this partnership, Almirall expands its toolbox of targeted protein degradation approaches by entering the field of molecular glues.

Almirall scientists have identified several proteins whose abnormal function is associated with inflammatory immune skin diseases. However, many of these potentially therapeutically relevant proteins are not amenable to conventional small molecule inhibitors because they lack defined ligand-binding pockets. Molecular glue degraders can harness and reprogram natural cellular mechanisms to selectively remove disease-causing proteins from human tissue. They can do this by promoting interactions (“bonding”) between these therapeutically relevant proteins and the machinery used by cells to mark and destroy proteins naturally.

“This exciting collaboration underscores Almirall’s commitment to R&D to provide innovative treatment options for patients with serious skin diseases. It also leverages each partner’s complementary core expertise to facilitate research and drug development. We look forward to beginning work with Dr. Cristina Mayor-Ruiz in the development of therapeutic molecular glue and believe this partnership has the potential to address unmet needs in dermatological diseases.”, States Dr. Thomas Huber, Head of Research at Almirall.

“We are very happy with this collaboration with Almirall. This is an incredible opportunity to bring their knowledge and experience in dermatology, along with our expertise in molecular glues, to accelerate drug discovery to treat skin diseases. The biochemical characteristics of molecular adhesives make them prime candidates, and this innovative approach could truly mark a turning point in dermatological pharmacology. I can’t wait to make this vision a reality with the fantastic team at Almirall”, Explain Cristina Mayor-Ruiz, Ph.D., Junior Group Leader at IRB Barcelona

Over the past year, Almirall has established strategic collaborations to accelerate the discovery and development of new therapies in medical dermatology. Examples of these agreements are the partnership with BIOMAP, the first dermatology project of the European Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), to advance the field of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, and the collaboration with the University of Dundee, which will provide the opportunity to develop new therapies based on chimeras targeted by proteolysis, another type of targeted protein degraders.

About IRB Barcelona

Created in 2005 by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Government of Catalonia) and the University of Barcelona, ​​IRB Barcelona is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence, a label awarded in 2011. The institute is dedicated to the search for excellence in biomedicine and the transfer of results to clinical practice, thereby improving people’s quality of life, while simultaneously promoting the training of outstanding researchers, the transfer of technology and the public communication of science. Its 27 laboratories and eight platforms deal with fundamental questions in biology and are oriented towards diseases such as cancer, metastases, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and rare diseases. IRB Barcelona is an international center that welcomes 400 employees and more than 30 nationalities. It is located in the Barcelona Science Park. IRB Barcelona is a CERCA center and member of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST).

For more information, please visit www.irbbarcelona.org

About Admiral

Almirall is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on skin health. We collaborate with scientists and healthcare professionals to meet the needs of patients through science to improve their lives. Our Noble Purpose is at the heart of our work: “To transform the world of patients by helping them realize their hopes and dreams for a healthy life”. We invest in differentiated and revolutionary medical dermatology products to bring our innovative solutions to the patients who need them.

The company, founded in 1943 and based in Barcelona, ​​is listed on the Spanish stock exchange and is a member of IBEX35 (ticker: ALM). Throughout its 78-year history, Almirall has always focused on patient needs. Currently, Almirall has a direct presence in 21 countries and strategic agreements in more than 70, through 13 subsidiaries, with approximately 1,800 employees. The total turnover in 2020 was 814.5 million euros.

For more information, please visit almirall.com

THE SOURCE: Almiral