Researchers spend significant amounts of time finding the right protein to target to address a disease. Human genetics, other –omics, images, phenotypic screens and clinical data are all deployed to narrow in on the single best target for a given disease. But many therapeutic hypotheses are not actionable. For targets that lack the features that enable use of small molecule or antibody drugs, drug discovery is over before it begins. This means that a growing number of compelling biological targets remain at the starting blocks, and patients whose diseases may be driven by such biology will not benefit from a medicine. At Parabilis we are able to engage these traditionally undruggable targets, and move forward unconstrained by target limitations.

A drug capable of targeting challenging intracellular proteins requires two key properties: the ability to enter into cells, and the ability to bind relatively flat protein surfaces. At Parabilis our Helicon™ technology allows us to bind such relatively flat surfaces that cannot be engaged by small molecule drugs. The interaction between a Helicon and a protein combines a large number of weak interactions — similar to how antibodies engage their targets — to create a high-affinity molecule. We have created innovative experimental approaches and customized AI- and physics-based computational tools that all help drive rapid design of Helicons that can test compelling therapeutic hypotheses.

A challenge facing all drug developers is how to target medicines to the right patients. The field of “precision medicine” is still evolving, and oncology is one of the areas leading the way. At Parabilis we employ deep clinical, medical and biology expertise alongside advanced data science capabilities, leveraging real-world data, to design clinical trials that test the right hypothesis in the right patient population and do so efficiently and rapidly. Using these techniques, we aim to deepen the therapy’s effectiveness for that patient population, with the ultimate goal of driving toward cures.