OUR MISSION
We are building a portfolio of small molecules modifying protein interactions in oncology, rare diseases and inflammation.
OUR APPROACH
We modify protein interactions to overcome cancer drug resistance and to offer cure to rare diseases.
OUR LEAD PROGRAM
Our first program leverages three mechanisms with direct cancer cell killing, no resistance induction and activation of an anti-tumoral immune response.
THERAPPI’S Executive Team
The management team has proven expertise in key areas for a biotech company encompassing identification and validation of novel drug targets, discovery and development of small molecule modifying protein interactions, executive experience in pharma and biotech, and financing experience.
Luc Otten
CEO & founder
He holds an MD, PhD in immunogenetics. (University of Geneva, Switzerland) and brings a rare mix of expertise in medical science, equity finance and management in biotech companies.
Valérie Attuil
Head of Business Operation
She holds a PhD in immunology (Ecole Normale Supérieure of Lyon, France) and bring multiple years of operational experience in the biotech sector. She was COO of Mablink Bioscience, a biotech company acquired by Eli Lilly.
Georg Rüedi
Scientific Lead, Medicinal Chemistry
He holds a PhD in organic chemistry (University of Zurich, Switzerland). His expertise spans medicinal chemistry and innovative chemistry technologies, with contributions to advancing more than 10 drug candidates into clinical development, including 2 approved therapies. team at the
Chris Shepherd
Head of Translational development
He holds a PhD in molecular pathology and cancer therapeutics (The Institute of Cancer Research, UK) and brings many years of experience in oncology including academic research and translational development in both pharma and biotech.
Stéphane Giraud
SVP Drug Dev. & founder
He holds a PhD in molecular and cellular biology (University of Lyon, France). He is experienced in drug discovery in industry and academia. He is the director of Center for Drug Discovery and Development (Lyon, France).
Guido Koch
Advisor, Chemistry Strategy
He holds a PhD in chemistry (University of Basel, Switzerland). After 21 years at Novartis (Switzerland), he founded a start-up in complex chemistry. He is the developer of 7 clinical candidate compounds and 1 marketed compound.
THE ISSUE
The prognosis of patients with advanced cancers remains poor. The RAS-MAPK signaling is hyperactivated in over 40% of human cancers and RAS-MAPK-activating mutations cause rare diseases. The efficacy of current RAS-MAPK inhibitors is undercut by cancer resistance and by their inability to cure these rare diseases.
OUR OFFER
TheraPPI’s two first programs target a novel protein protein interaction in the RAS-MAPK pathway discovered by the founder team and published in Nature Communications (read the paper).
Our first program in oncology revolutionizes RAS-MAPK targeting: the new mode of action leverages three mechanisms with direct killing cancer cells, no induction of cancer resistance and activation of an anti-tumoral immune response.
Our lead program aims to obtain a high rate of clinical responses, to circumvent cancer resistance and to improve the response rate of immunotherapies and thus to offer a better prognosis to patients with advanced cancer.
KNOWLEDGE
Protein protein interactions (PPI) are crucial for proper cellular functioning that goes beyond specific functions encoded by any single gene. PPIs form a complex network associated with numerous pathologies such as cancer, metabolic syndrome, infections and neurodegenerative diseases.
These PPI characteristics offer multiple opportunities of future drug development to provide treatments not offered by single gene-targeted therapies.
TheraPPI team leverages biology and chemistry expertise in disease-relevant networks to identify druggable PPIs and develop new treatments for cancer and related diseases.