San Francisco-based oncology startup, Shasqi, announced an expansion of its research collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Enterprise Innovation. The partnership centers on Shasqi‘s CAPAC platform, which is an abbreviation for Click-Activated Protodrugs Against Cancer. The platform separates tumor-targeting from the actual drug payload with the aim of maximizing potency while minimizing toxic side effects.
Shasqi’s CAPAC platform taps click chemistry for tumor targetingCAPAC makes use of a two-part system: a tumor-targeting agent and a cancer therapeutic. When the protodrug locates the tumor’s targeting agent, click chemistry activates it. The technique joins two discrete molecular components much like a seat belt buckle. More precisely, the system makes use of a chemical reaction to precisely activate the cancer drug at the tumor location.
The origins of Shasqi trace back to the research of its founder, Dr. José M. Mejía Oneto, who desc…