Develops a proprietary cell-based phenotypic screening platform to identify small molecule inhibitors targeting protein-protein interactions (PPIs) involved in cancer. This approach addresses the challenge of developing therapeutics for difficult-to-treat cancers by enabling the discovery of novel treatments that disrupt critical molecular pathways.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Many cancers are difficult to treat because they rely on protein-protein interactions (PPIs) for survival and proliferation, but these interactions are challenging to target with traditional drug discovery methods. Current approaches often fail to identify small molecule inhibitors that can effectively disrupt these critical PPIs in cancer cells.
Solution
RIANA Therapeutics is developing novel anti-cancer therapies by targeting challenging protein-protein interactions (PPIs) using a proprietary cell-based phenotypic screening platform. This platform enables the identification of small molecule inhibitors that disrupt PPIs critical for cancer cell survival. By screening for phenotypic changes in cells, the platform identifies compounds that modulate PPIs within the complex cellular environment, increasing the likelihood of identifying effective drug candidates. The company has successfully completed hit validation for its first program and is advancing towards lead identification.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes pharmaceutical companies and research institutions focused on developing novel cancer therapeutics, as well as investors interested in early-stage biotech companies with innovative drug discovery platforms.
Features
- Cell-based phenotypic screening platform to identify small molecule inhibitors of PPIs
- Focus on identifying compounds that disrupt PPIs within the native cellular context
- Screening platform designed to address difficult-to-treat cancers
- First program targeting STAT5, a key protein involved in cancer development
- Hit validation completed for the first program, demonstrating the platform's ability to identify relevant compounds