Auron Therapeutics Inc. has received FDA clearance of its IND application for its oral KAT2A/B degrader AUTX-703 in hematological malignancies. A phase I proof-of-concept trial in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) will open enrollment this quarter, supported by a recently completed $27 million series B financing.
KAT2A is a histone acetyltransferase that functions as a transcriptional activator which, together with its paralogue KAT2B, is markedly overexpressed in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) compared to in hematopoietic progenitor cells.
The histone acetyltransferase KAT2A, and its paralog KAT2B have been identified as key drivers of tumor cell plasticity in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Researchers from Auron Therapeutics Inc. aimed to evaluate the novel KAT2A/B heterobifunctional protein degrader, AUTX-703, in models of SCLC.
Using its artificial intelligence/machine learning platform, Aurigen, Auron Therapeutics Inc. has identified histone acetyltransferase KAT2A/B as a driver of tumor cell plasticity and designed new small-molecule degraders of KAT2A/B.
Auron Therapeutics Inc. has described proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) comprising a cereblon (CRBN) E3 ubiquitin ligase-binding moiety covalently linked to a histone acetyltransferase KAT2A and/or KAT2B (PCAF)-targeting moiety through a linker.
Auron Therapeutics Inc. has nominated its first development candidate, AUTX-703, which is being developed for the treatment of patients with small-cell lung cancer, neuroendocrine prostate cancer and acute myeloid leukemia.
