Protagonist Therapeutics

About

Protagonist Therapeutics develops orally stable, GI-restricted peptide drugs using a platform combining computational design, phage display, and peptide chemistry, advancing PTG-100, an alpha-4-beta-7-targeted therapy for IBD.

Mission

Protagonist Therapeutics is developing oral peptides — pill versions of drugs that are today given as injectable biologics — with an initial focus on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The company’s platform aims to stabilize peptides so they survive the acidic gut, microbiome, and digestive enzymes and reach intestinal targets. Its lead programs include PTG-100, which is in clinical trials, and PTG-200, which is in preclinical development and targets the same pathway as J&J’s Stelara. PTG-100 targets alpha-4 beta-7, the same target as Takeda’s vedolizumab, which generated more than $1 billion in global sales in 2016, illustrating the potential market. In May, Johnson & Johnson’s pharmaceutical unit committed $50 million upfront and up to $990 million in milestone payments tied to PTG-200, providing a significant financing vote of confidence. If clinical data are positive, Protagonist says oral peptide pills could lower costs, simplify logistics compared with injectables, and eventually expand beyond IBD targets. Protagonist is a Bay Area biotech developing orally stable, peptide-based drugs that are restricted to the GI compartment to treat inflammatory bowel diseases. Its lead candidate, PTG-100, selectively blocks the alpha-4-beta-7 integrin, a clinically validated target for IBD. The company says oral peptides offer differentiation from injectable monoclonal antibodies by providing localized GI exposure and improved convenience for chronic use. Protagonist plans to advance PTG-100 into human Phase 1/2 trials (the article cites advancement into trials by the end of the year and into Phase 1/2 in 2016) and intends to apply pharmacogenomics from the outset. Management envisions broader applications for its peptide platform beyond current GI indications. Financially, the company has attracted venture financing to support these programs, most recently completing a Series C round. Protagonist Therapeutics develops 'orally stable peptides' intended to replace injectable biologics for inflammatory bowel disease and other gastrointestinal disorders. The company employs a proprietary discovery platform that integrates computational tools, phage display, and peptide chemistry to discover oral peptide candidates. Protagonist is a spin-out of the University of Queensland's Institute of Molecular Biosciences and is headquartered in the USA, with discovery operations in Menlo Park, California and Brisbane, Australia. In September 2013 the company expanded its Series B private financing by $4 million, bringing the total raised in that round to $18 million. Pharmstandard International S.A. joined the Series B as a new investor, represented by Inbio Ventures. Management said the additional international investment will enable further focus on building a pipeline of development candidates and pursuing selective asset-based partnering.

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