Base to Base biotech podcast 28: CTPS1 and ocular therapeutics

This week, we have two interviews. We chat with Step Pharma CEO, Andy Parker, and also have a conversation with Re-Vana CEO, Michael O’Rourke.Ocular therapeuticsRe-Vana Therapeutics and Boehringer Ingelheim recently announced a $1bn+ deal to develop long-acting ophthalmic therapies.Re-Vana Therapeutics is a privately held, US and UK based developer of ocular therapeutics and innovative ocular drug delivery technologies which spun out of Queens University Belfast, Northern Ireland.Terms of the deal include up to three development programmes per year leading to a potential total deal value exceeding $1bn contingent on milestone achievements. The agreement grants Boehringer Ingelheim target exclusivity, and provide for upfront, development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments to Re-Vana.Re-Vana’s drug delivery technology is designed to release slowly over six to 12 months, aiming to drastically reduce injection frequency.Lowering the treatment burden could lead to higher treatment compliance and potentially result in better therapeutic outcomes.Re-Vana’s is developing internal assets - a six-month sustained release aflibercept and a six-month bispecific – both photo-crosslinked, bio erodible and delivered in the clinic with no surgery.Step Pharma takes on CTPS1Step Pharma is taking a smart and focused approach to tackling cancers and blood disorders by targeting an enzyme called CTPS1, which plays a key role in how cells produce the building blocks of DNA and RNA.The idea is simple but powerful: Cancer cells and certain immune cells rely heavily on CTPS1 to grow and survive. By selectively blocking this enzyme, Step’s lead candidate, dencatistat, deprives malignant cells of the raw materials they need to divide, while healthy cells are largely unaffected because they can fall back on a related enzyme called CTPS2. This selectivity is what makes the approach potentially safer and more effective than broader chemotherapy.They have been moving quickly, expanding beyond blood cancers into solid tumours and a rare condition called essential thrombocythaemia, which causes overproduction of platelets.We spoke with the company’s CEO, Andy Parker, about the work the company is doing.To get in touch with guest suggestions, or to sponsor or advertise on the podcast, please email [email protected]