


Developing highly targeted PROTAC molecules to attack cancers, as well as viral and autoimmune diseases.
Envisioning better outcomes for patients and their families.

What We Do
Our scientific team uses a combination of virtual screening and generative AI tools, along with conventional laboratory practices, to design and develop a novel class of high-potency, low-toxicity, targeted therapeutic agents termed “degraders” for undruggable targets.
Therabene’s proprietary molecules are designed for the treatment of cancers, autoimmune diseases, certain types of viral infections, and other difficult-to-treat diseases that harm patients and their families.
Traditional drug discovery has focused on controlling protein activity. At Therabene, we are reaching far beyond that boundary using degraders as a novel therapeutic modality.
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Our Technology
We design small molecule degraders that downregulate CDK9 in cancer cells. CDK9 has shown drive transcription in many tumors. Instead of only blocking, our molecules tag CDK9 for disposal by the cell. When CDK9 is downregulation, the tumor loses key survival signals.
Cyclin dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) is a key regulator of transcriptional elongation via phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II. CDK9 has also been demonstrated to be necessary for expression of oncogenic drivers such as MYC and anti-apoptotic proteins like MCL-1. Aberrant CDK9 activity is associated with uncontrolled proliferation and survival of a variety of malignancies, including hematologic cancers and solid tumors. Small-molecule inhibitors to CDK9 have shown promising anti-tumor activity, however their clinical development has been hampered by dose-limiting toxicities and incomplete selectivity. Targeted protein degradation technology, through degraders, offers an alternative strategy by harnessing the ubiquitin–proteasome system by selectively eliminating CDK9. This degradation leads to sustained suppression of oncogenic transcriptional programs and induction of tumor cell apoptosis, with the potential for improved efficacy and reduced resistance compared to traditional inhibitors.
“Big results require big ambitions.”
- Heraclitus -