Dr. Daniel Starczynowski joins Drug Farm Scientific Advisory Board
Drug Farm, a private biotechnology company utilizing genetics and artificial intelligence technologies to discover and develop innovative, immune-modulating therapies announced today that it has entered into a Material Transfer Agreement with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC). Under the agreement, Drug Farm will provide DF-003 to the laboratory of Dr. Daniel Starczynowski, Katherine Stewart Waters Endowed Chair of Hematological Malignancies at CCHMC, to investigate the potential therapeutic benefits of ALPK1 inhibition in diseases associated with clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP). In conjunction with the collaboration, Dr. Starczynowski will join Drug Farm’s Scientific Advisory Board to provide expertise and strategic leadership.
“A recently published Nature article from the laboratory of Dr. Starczynowski has established a direct link between ADP-heptose (a specific activator of ALPK1) and CHIP. Because CHIP is known to significantly increase risk of heart disease and blood cancers, there now exists a clear mechanism-based rationale to investigate ALPK1 inhibitor, DF-003 in clinical trials for the treatment of these diseases,” said Henri Lichenstein, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Drug Farm. “We are honored to collaborate with Dan and are excited about his new role on Drug Farm’s Scientific Advisory Board to provide invaluable knowledge on how ADP-heptose/ALPK1 drives disease in CHIP carriers.”
“Our laboratory has shown that age-related changes in gut health activate the ADP-heptose/ALPK1 axis and promote expansion of CHIP stem cells leading to increased risk of heart disease and blood cancers,” said Dr. Dan Starczynowski. “We are excited to collaborate on a drug that has excellent scientific rationale and offers a new precision-targeted approach to treat age-related diseases driven by CHIP.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Drug Farm will retain all rights, title, and interest in DF-003.
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