Newcastle Uni teams with Proteologics on asthma R&D

University of Newcastle researchers will work with Israeli drug developer Proteologics to co-develop treatments for conditions including asthma.

Proteologics and Newcastle Innovation, the university’s technology transfer company, have signed an exclusive licensing agreement covering the development and commercialisation of treatments based on midline-1 inhibitors.

The agreement builds on research from the university’s professor Joerg Mattes, Chair of Paediatrics and Child Health, finding that midline-1 regulates airway inflammation.

Midline-1, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, also promotes allergen and rhinovirus-induced asthma by inhibiting protein phosphatase 2A activity.

A small molecule inhibitor of midline-1 would be non-steroidal, which could help solve the problem of increasing tolerance to current steroid-based asthma treatments.

Midline-1 inhibitors could also have potential applications in some non-respiratory diseases.

“The agreement with Proteologics marks a significant milestone in the evolution of laboratory discovery to proof-of-concept and the development of effective therapeutics,” Newcastle Innovation CEO Dr Brent Jenkins said.

“We are proud of the achievements to date and are confident new treatments will be available in the near future.”