Cancer Research – Shasqi Teams Up with Johnson & Johnson
Shasqi Teams Up with Johnson & Johnson for Revolutionary Cancer Research Shasqi, a company dedicated to transforming cancer treatment using click chemistry, has joined forces with Johnson & Johnson Enterprise Innovation Inc. to collaborate on groundbreaking research. In this partnership, Shasqi will utilize its Click Activated Protodrugs Against Cancer (CAPAC) platform to develop new therapies for cancer treatment. The CAPAC platform developed by Shasqi uses chemistry instead of biology to activate drugs specifically at the tumor site. It consists of two main components: a tumor-targeting agent and a cancer therapeutic. These components combine at the tumor location, and the cancer therapeutic is activated using click chemistry, a technology that won the Nobel Prize
Shasqi, a clinical-stage biotech company based in San Francisco, is dedicated to advancing cancer treatment using an innovative approach called click chemistry. The company’s goal is to administer potent cancer drugs directly to the tumor site, while minimizing harm to healthy cells. Shasqi is proud to be the first company to apply click chemistry in human patients.
José M. Mejía Oneto, the founder and CEO of Shasqi, expressed his enthusiasm for this opportunity to expand their platform. He stated, “We are excited to collaborate and utilize click chemistry to develop potential new therapies in areas where there is a significant medical need.”
Clinical studies have already confirmed the effectiveness of click chemistry in activating cancer drugs at the tumor site. In a phase 1 study, click chemistry successfully activated a dose of doxorubicin that was 12 times higher than the conventional dose, with a favorable safety profile. To achieve precise targeting, click chemistry was administered through an injection directly into the tumor. Currently, a phase 2a study is enrolling patients with soft tissue sarcoma and head and neck cancer.
The collaboration with Johnson & Johnson will primarily focus on Shasqi’s SQL70, an injectable biopolymer that is delivered directly into the tumor. To identify the next potential clinical candidate, a co-development committee has been established.
Mukul Agarwal, the chief business officer at Shasqi, emphasized the significance of relying on chemistry rather than biology for drug activation. This approach allows for the use of small molecules, peptides, and antibody fragments to precisely target tumor antigens, offering unparalleled flexibility in treatment options.
Shasqi’s pioneering use of click chemistry holds great promise in delivering high doses of cancer drugs directly to tumors, reducing the harm caused to healthy cells and potentially enhancing treatment effectiveness. The company has initiated the phase 2 stage of its clinical study to further evaluate SQ3370 in patients who have not undergone anthracycline treatment.
Cancer Research
