NERx Biosciences

NERx Biosciences is a preclinical stage biotechnology company focused on developing anticancer therapeutics targeting the DNA damage response (DDR) and DNA repair. The company's primary goal is to create a new generation of cancer treatments directed against novel protein targets for lung and ovarian cancer. NERx's innovative approach involves intervening upstream in the DDR pathway by targeting DNA damage sensors, which the company believes will realize the full therapeutic potential of DDR.

The company's lead compound, NERx-329, is a first-in-class inhibitor of Replication Protein A (RPA). This novel therapeutic agent is designed to block the RPA-DNA interaction and has shown promise in potentiating the anticancer activity of various DDR inhibitors and traditional DNA-damaging cancer therapeutics. As of March 2022, NERx-329 demonstrated single-agent anti-cancer activity in lung and breast tumor models.

In addition to its RPA inhibitor program, NERx Biosciences has developed a robust pipeline of first-in-class DDR programs. One of these is a class of small molecule inhibitors that impair Non-Homologous End Joining (NHEJ) through a novel mechanism of inhibiting DNA-PK. These Ku-DNA binding inhibitors have shown potential in potentiating the cellular effects of bleomycin and ionizing radiation, presenting a promising anti-cancer approach.

NERx Biosciences' technology is expected to enhance patient response to therapy and improve overall survival rates. The company's unique strategy of targeting specific proteins that sense DNA damage sets it apart from other programs that focus on downstream events in the DDR pathway.