The research pact will leverage Dewpoint’s biomolecular condensates technology platform and Bayer’s small molecule compound library to identify and develop new therapies for cardiovascular and gynecological diseases.
Germany-based Bayer and Dewpoint Therapeutics, located in Boston, announced a research deal that could hit $100 million. The research pact will leverage Dewpoint’s biomolecular condensates technology platform and Bayer’s small molecule compound library to identify and develop new therapies for cardiovascular and gynecological diseases.
Biomolecular condensates are droplet-like membrane-less organelles that form in a dynamic fashion with many proteins in order to function within cells. About 80% of proteins in humans are considered unreachable with small molecule drugs. The companies believe that with Dewpoint’s platform, they will broaden the reach of small molecule therapeutics, identifying new drug targets.
“As we continue to broaden our capabilities in Research & Development, the collaboration with Dewpoint gives us access to breakthrough innovation potential,” said Joerg Moeller, member of Bayer’s executive committee’s Pharmaceuticals Division and head of Research and Development. “New analytic tools and a growing understanding of biomolecular condensates could provide new insights into cellular functions that previously have not been considered by scientists in drug development, enabling us to identify novel pharmacological targets for future therapies.”
Under the terms of the deal, Bayer picks up an option to exclusively license a specific number of novel therapeutics that come out of the research. In addition to access to Bayer’s small molecule compound library, it brings R&D capabilities including high throughput screening and medicinal chemistry. No other financial details were disclosed. Nor was the length of the pact.
In January 2019, Bayer participated in Dewpoint’s $60 million Series A financing via the Leaps by Bayer investment unit.
Dewpoint has locations in Boston and Dresden, Germany. Part of the agreement is to expand Dewpoint’s presence in Germany outside of Dresden.
“This partnership is an exciting opportunity to advance treatments for diseases that have long evaded the industry,” said Amir Nashat, Dewpoint’s chief executive officer. “We look forward to combining Bayer’s expertise in chemistry and drug development and Dewpoint’s novel platform and insights into the role of biomolecular condensates in disease. We also look forward to working closely with Bayer to expand our capabilities in Germany and put the local biotech ecosystem at the forefront of this important and emerging area.”
Dewpoint was founded by Anthony Hyman of the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, Germany, and Richard Young of the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. At the Series A, additional investors besides Bayer included founding investor Polaris Partners, Samsara BioCapital, 6 Dimensions Capital, EcoR1 Capital, and Alexandria Venture Investments.
Although the research partnership between Dewpoint and Bayer will focus on cardiovascular and gynecologic diseases, numerous other diseases are affected by condensates including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, immunology and virology.
At the time of the launch, Hyman said, “Insights into biomolecular condensates could provide answers to fundamental mysteries in biology, and we are eager to begin using these to discover new therapeutic approaches to diseases.”
The company’s scientific advisors include Simon Alberti, professor and chair of Cellular Biochemistry at the Technical University Dresden; Arup Chakraborty, Robert T. Haslam Professor of Chemical Engineering and Professor of Physics and Chemistry at MIT; Bradley Hyman, John B. Penny, Jr. Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Alzheimer’s unit at Mass General Institute for Neurological Disease; Rudolf Jaenisch, Whitehead Institute Founding Member and Professor of Biology at MIT; Robert Langer, David H. Koch Institute Professor at MIT; Timothy Mitchison, Hasib Sabbagh Professor of Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Harvard Therapeutics Innovation Hub; and Rohit Pappu, Edwin H. Murty Professor of Engineering in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Director of the Center for the Science & Engineering of Living Systems at Washington University in St. Louis.
