Captor Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of targeted protein degradation (TPD)-based drugs for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases, has selected CPT-6281 as drug candidate for the CT-01 project, which will initially focus on the clinical development of the asset as a TPD treatment against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The announcement of the drug candidate confirms that CPT-6281 is on track to enter the clinical phase in 2023.

As disclosed earlier this year, the CT-01 series of molecular glues are compounds inducing degradation of Eukaryotic peptide chain release factor GTP-binding subunit ERF3A (GSPT1), Sal-like protein 4 (SALL4) and another undisclosed neo-substrate with essential function in tumorigenesis. Earlier this year, Captor reported very promising in vitro and in vivo preclinical data demonstrating the high anti-tumor activity at low doses of the two lead compounds in a mouse model of human liver cancer, when administered orally.

Captor went through additional extensive in vitro and in vivo evaluations to help selecting CPT-6281 as the candidate most likely to provide significant therapeutic benefit, combined with minimal or no off-target degradation and a suitable back-up compound was also identified.

Following the selection of the lead drug candidate, Captor has initiated large scale synthesis with a reputable contract development and manufacturing organization. The CDMO will produce sufficient amounts of drug candidate to complete the preclinical studies required to support a clinical trial application filing with the regulators next year.