• Preclinical data establish MRT-6160’s ability to potently and selectively degrade VAV1 and inhibit disease progression in autoimmunity models, supporting potential applications across multiple autoimmune diseases
  • Planned IND filing in the first half of 2024

BOSTON, MA, USA I May 23, 2023 I Monte Rosa Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: GLUE), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel molecular glue degrader (MGD)-based medicines, today announced its second development candidate, MRT-6160, a novel, potent, and selective molecular glue degrader (MGD) of VAV1. The Company plans to file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for MRT-6160 in the first half of 2024 and to develop the molecule as a potential treatment for autoimmune diseases.

“MRT-6160 is a potent, orally bioavailable MGD designed to degrade VAV1, an important protein involved in the signaling pathways of T and B cells. Our in vitro studies have shown that MRT-6160 selectively degrades VAV1 without detectable effects on other proteins. By targeting VAV1, MRT-6160 attenuates multiple aspects of T- and B-cell function and inhibits disease progression in established in vivo models of autoimmunity,” said Owen Wallace, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Monte Rosa. “The underlying biology and our preclinical data both demonstrate that MRT-6160 acts as an immune modulator, which has the potential to avoid the broad immune suppression seen with other approaches. We look forward to progressing our clinical plan developed with the goal of providing early insights into safety, PK and PD, and proof of concept regarding differentiated effects on key immunomodulatory signaling pathways.”

“Our goal centers on pioneering therapeutically meaningful new drugs for patients with serious diseases. By addressing VAV1, a validated but previously undruggable target, we believe we’ve created a potentially groundbreaking therapy for patients suffering from a range of serious autoimmune conditions, particularly those involving both T- and B cell-mediated autoimmunity,” said Markus Warmuth, M.D., CEO of Monte Rosa. “MRT-6160 is expected to be our second MGD to enter clinical trials, showcasing the continued productivity of our QuEEN™ platform. We anticipate significant progress and milestones in our portfolio in the upcoming year, including initial clinical data from our GSPT1 MGD, MRT-2359, in the second half of this year and filing of an IND application for MRT-6160 in the first half of next year.”

About VAV1 and MRT-6160
VAV1, a Rho-family guanine nucleotide exchange factor, is a key signaling protein downstream of both the T-and B-cell receptors. VAV1 expression is restricted to blood and immune cells, including T and B cells. Preclinical studies have shown that targeted degradation of VAV1 protein via an MGD modulates both T- and B-cell receptor-mediated activity. This modulation is evident both in vitro and in vivo, demonstrated by a significant decrease in cytokine secretion, proteins vital for maintaining autoimmune diseases. Moreover, VAV1-directed MGDs have shown promising activity in preclinical models of autoimmune diseases and thus we believe have the potential to provide therapeutic benefits in multiple autoimmune indications, such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and dermatological disorders. MRT-6160 is a potent, highly selective, and orally bioavailable degrader of VAV1, which has shown deep degradation of its target with no detectable effects on other proteins. Preclinical studies demonstrate MRT-6160 inhibits disease progression in in vivo autoimmunity models.

About Monte Rosa
Monte Rosa Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing novel molecular glue degrader (MGD) medicines for patients with serious diseases such as oncology, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. MGDs are small molecule protein degraders that employ the body’s natural mechanisms to selectively eliminate therapeutically relevant proteins. The Company’s QuEEN™ (Quantitative and Engineered Elimination of Neosubstrates) platform enables it to rapidly identify protein targets and design highly selective degraders by combining diverse libraries of proprietary MGDs with in-house proteomics, structural biology, AI/machine learning, and computational chemistry capabilities. For more information, visit www.monterosatx.com

SOURCE: Monte Rosa Therapeutics