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aTyr Using Hong Kong to Leverage Development of New Class of Biologics

publication date: Mar 13, 2009
 | 
author/source: Richard Daverman, PhD

aTyr Pharma, headquartered in San Diego, but with an additional lab in Hong Kong, is developing naturally occurring protein fragments that may be able to treat a wide variety of diseases. The fragments were discovered by Paul Schimmel, PhD, who co-founded aTyr.

“Paul was the first to identify that fragments of this class were secreted from cells and displayed novel activities,” said Jeff Watkins, PhD and CEO of aTyr Pharma in an exclusive interview with ChinaBio® Today

Dr. Schimmel qualifies as a serial entrepreneur. He has served as either co-founder or founding director of a very impressive list of successful biotechs, including Alnylam, Alkermes, Avicena Group, Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Repligen Corporation and Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) for $720 million in 2008, not long after it completed its IPO.

After starting that many companies, it is surprising that Dr. Schimmel has more ideas. He has focused his laboratory work on human aminoacyl tRNA synthetases, which may have been some of the first enzymes to exist on Earth as life began on this planet. The protein fragments are derived from these enzymes. Inside the cell, they promote protein synthesis, but they are also secreted outside the cell where they are active in cell signaling. In that role, they have the potential to open up an entirely new class of biologic drugs.

Hong Kong Subsidiary

The impetus to establish a China connection came from Dr. Schimmel. “Paul had a relationship with Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST),” declared CEO Watkins. “He developed the idea that we could leverage our early work by moving it to Hong Kong.”

Dr. Schimmel had also had a very positive experience with Sirtris, which had some of its pre-clinical work done in Shanghai. It wasn’t just a matter of money, according to Watkins: “He found the work done there was absolutely critical to the success of Sirtris’ molecules.”

In Hong Kong, aTyr has established a subsidiary organization called Pangu BioPharma, which has laboratory space at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Pangu and HKUST have written and received a grant from the municipal government of Hong Kong, w hich matches the research money aTyr spends in Hong Kong dollar for dollar.

“We have an eight to ten-fold financial leverage on our work in Hong Kong,” declared Watkins, alluding both to the lower cost of doing pre-clinical work in China and their arrangement in Hong Kong. Watkins noted that all IP developed at Pangu belongs solely to aTyr.

As a platform company, aTyr is developing an entirely new class of biologics. Researchers are working to discover the latent synthetase activities by identifying fragments or alternative splice variants. Both of these naturally occurring processes release new functions of the synthetase proteins by presenting new surfaces. Pangu BioPharma in Hong Kong, with its five full-time researchers, is doing research on identifying the splice variants, while aTyr’s San Diego lab identifies fragments generated by proteolysis. In the division of labor, Pangu focuses on the platform side of the company, working on identifying potential biologics. aTyr’s San Diego lab concentrates on taking specific clinical candidates and moving them through their pre-clinical tests and into Phase I clinical trials.

To date, aTyr acknowledges pre-clinical work on two molecules. “Our lead molecule is in a late pre-clinical stage. It has demonstrated activity in vivo, and we are starting to prepare for an IND, which we hope to file in early 2010,” said Watkins. There are multiple candidates in the pipeline, including a second molecule that is following close behind the first. Watkins predicts its IND will be filed later in 2010.

New VP for Development to Expand China Relationship

aTyr was founded in 2005. “In 2007, we established out San Diego lab,” said Watkins. “Then, we started thinking we could increase our growth by tapping into the efficiencies available in China. But it’s difficult for someone on the outside to prioritize the opportunities available in China.”

aTyr decided that, to identify the best opportunities, it needed to hire someone with Western pharmaceutical experience and strong China connections. They found that person in Dr. James Cai, whose appointment was announced this week. Based in Shanghai, Dr. Cai will be President of Hong Kong-based Pangu BioPharma, and he will also assume the role of Senior Vice President of Clinical Development at aTyr Pharma.

In his most recent post, Dr. Cai was Vice President of Research and Development at AstraZeneca China (NYSE: AZN). He established Astra-Zeneca’s Research and Development organization in China and was responsible for Clinical Research, Medical-Marketing, Regulatory Affairs, Patient Safety and Business Development.

Before AstraZeneca, Dr. Cai was External Affairs and HIV Franchise Director at Merck Sharp & Dohme China (NYSE: MRK) and Medical Director at Pfizer (NYSE: PFE).

That’s an impressive resume. CEO Watkins says that “From Shanghai, Dr. Cai will lead growth and fully leverage what we can do in China. Also, with his development experience, he will lead aTyr's clinical development activities.”

Dr. Cai will also speak at the ChinaBio® Investor Forum, to be held next week, March 19-20, in Hong Kong, where he will discuss the aTyr program.

IP in Place

That is a big change in company policy, because, so far, aTyr has been a pretty stealthy company. The low profile was necessary while aTyr developed its platform and filed for IP. But Watkins declared “We’ve made sufficient progress on the platform and in filing IP that the quiet period is over so that we can evaluate potential licensing partnerships.

We’re happy that aTyr has decided to open up because their operation is a case study in the benefits of US-China collaboration. Their cross-border work focuses on innovative drug discovery, a new set of molecules with potential to become helpful drugs. Moreover, the Hong Kong connection was established not just to save money – though that by itself is important for biopharmas – but because of the expertise that Pangu adds to aTyr’s drug development efforts.

Disclosure: none.

 


 

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