New data presented on novel orally bioavailable p300-selective degraders showing significant anti-tumor activity in preclinical models of androgen receptor (AR) positive prostate cancer

SEOUL, South Korea and KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., Oct. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SK Biopharmaceuticals, a global biotech focused on the research, development and commercialization of treatments for disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) and oncology, and its U.S. R&D subsidiary, Proteovant Therapeutics, presented data showing that selectively degrading the epigenetic protein p300, with minimal impact on its paralog CBP, results in suppression of androgen receptor signaling and inhibition of tumor growth in a mouse model of androgen receptor (AR) positive prostate cancer. Findings are being presented today at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the European Organisation for Research and Treatment (EORTC) International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics being held in Boston.

The AACR-NCI-EORTC Conference attracts researchers from around the world to discuss innovations in drug development, target selection, the impact of new discoveries in cellular and molecular biology, and early clinical trials. Today's presentation is the second in a series of important meetings at which the Proteovant team is sharing research findings that show potential best- and first-in-class protein degraders.

"Although strategies targeting androgen receptor in the treatment of prostate cancer have shown benefits for patients, the reality is that cancer cells ultimately find ways to bypass these therapies, resulting in disease progression," said Zhihua Sui, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Proteovant Therapeutics. "These data showcase a first-in-class opportunity for therapeutic intervention that suppresses AR signaling through an androgen-independent mechanism."

"We are excited about what our Proteovant team is doing to find novel approaches to treat metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer," Donghoon Lee, President and CEO of SK Biopharmaceuticals and SK Life Science. "The presentation at the AACR-NCI-EORTC Conference further demonstrates the value of Proteovant's work to support our growing pipeline and how it is helping SK Biopharmaceuticals and SK Life Science deliver on our commitment to change the future of CNS and cancer care."

AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics

• Title: Discovery and characterization of a p300-selective degrader demonstrates potent anti-tumor activity in preclinical models of prostate cancer 
• Presenter: Mike Russell, Ph.D. Director of Biology
• Date/Time: Thursday, October 12, 12:30-4:00pm

About Proteovant Therapeutics

Proteovant Therapeutics exploits the ubiquitin-protease system (UPS) to discover and develop transformative medicines for the treatment of patients with life-altering diseases. Protein degradation harnesses the human body's innate cellular machinery by way of the UPS to identify and mark disease causing proteins for destruction. This promising approach provides the opportunity to target proteins of interest, many of which were previously considered undruggable. Proteovant integrates its AI enabled target ID platform, degrader drug hunting expertise, and MOPED™ molecular glue screening platform to advance novel protein degraders. As of August 11, 2023, Proteovant Therapeutics is part of SK Biopharmaceuticals.

About SK Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.

SK Biopharmaceuticals is a global biotech company focused on the research, development, and commercialization of treatments to help people living with central nervous system (CNS) disorders and change the future of cancer care. Together with its U.S. subsidiary, SK Life Science, Inc., SK Biopharmaceuticals has a pipeline of eight compounds in development. Both companies are part of SK Group, one of the largest conglomerates in Korea and one of TIME's 100 Most Influential Companies of 2023. For more information, please visit www.skbp.com/eng.

SK Biopharmaceuticals' parent company SK Inc. continues to enhance its portfolio value by executing long-term investments with a number of competitive subsidiaries in various business areas, including pharmaceuticals and life science, energy and chemicals, information and telecommunication, and semiconductors. In addition, SK Inc. is focused on reinforcing its growth foundations through profitable and practical management based on financial stability, while raising its enterprise value by investing in new future growth businesses. For more information, please visit www.sk-inc.com/en.