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The Office of Technology Partnerships (OTP) facilitates the development and commercialization of ideas emanating from The University of California Riverside (UCR) and the community for the benefit of society.  The licensing of proteasome and immunoproteasome inhibitors to Lodo Therapeutics is an example of UCR OTP’s success as a bridge between academia and industry.

On September 1, 2020, Lodo Therapeutics was granted an exclusive license to proteasome and immunoproteasome inhibitors discovered by UCR professor Michael Pirrung and Michigan State University professor André Bachmann. Dr. Pirrung is a distinguished organic chemist who currently holds 41 U.S patents and is a member of the prestigious National Academy of Inventors. Dr. Pirrung is an inventor of TIR-199, one of the licensed proteasome inhibitors. In 2013 and 2018, OTP provided over $40,000 in total proof-of-concept funding to Dr. Pirrung to help translate and commercialize his proteasome inhibitors.

Early preclinical studies suggest that TIR-199 may have efficacy in treating solid tumors. TIR-199 is  structurally distinct from marketed proteasome inhibitors and is highly selective for its target. The early data also suggest that it may be less susceptible to development of clinical resistance than current standard-of-care proteasome inhibitors.  These data help support Lodo’s plans to develop TIR-199 as a potential treatment for solid tumors. Proteasome inhibitors kill cancer cells by blocking the ability of the proteasome to perform its usual housekeeping function of removing unwanted peptides that accumulate as excessive build-up of waste inside the cancer cells, thereby causing them to eventually die. UCR OTP is proud to have licensed this technology to Lodo Therapeutics and looks forward to the future applications of this technology for human health.                                                              

To learn more about Lodo Therapeutics visit http://www.lodotherapeutics.com