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13. Tackling the undruggable: How Beactica's protein degradation platform might transform glioblastoma treatment
Manage episode 515241063 series 3662745
Targeted protein degradation (TPD) represents one of the most transformative advances in drug discovery, with the global market projected to expand from USD 641 million in 2025 to as much as USD 9.85 billion by 2035.
This rapidly evolving field enables researchers to eliminate disease-causing proteins rather than merely inhibiting their function, offering unprecedented opportunities to tackle previously "undruggable" targets that have eluded conventional therapeutic approaches with the potential to revolutionize treatment paradigms across oncology, neurodegenerative disorders, and autoimmune diseases.
Swedish biotech Beactica Therapeutics is pioneering novel approaches to drug discovery through its proprietary Eclipsor™ platform, which combines allosteric modulation with targeted protein degradation to tackle previously "undruggable" targets.
In this episode, CEO and co-founder Per Källblad discusses with BioBiz Buzz co-host Mike Ward how the company's dual-modality strategy addresses the fundamental limitations of traditional small molecule inhibitors, particularly for proteins lacking well-defined binding pockets or serving complex scaffolding functions.
The conversation explores Beactica's lead programme BEA-17, a first-in-class LSD1-CoREST degrader that has received FDA Orphan Drug Designation for glioblastoma, a devastating cancer where median survival remains just 12-18 months. By degrading the entire LSD1-CoREST complex rather than merely inhibiting it, BEA-17 simultaneously restores antigen presentation, induces viral mimicry responses, and reprograms the tumour microenvironment to enable immune recognition.
Källblad also discusses the company's TEAD degrader programme P65-047, which shows superior efficacy through its unique ability to eliminate resistance-mediating co-factors like VGLL3, and outlines Beactica's biomarker-driven clinical development strategy designed to maximize patient selection precision as the company advances toward Phase I trials.
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Chapters
1. 13. Tackling the undruggable: How Beactica's protein degradation platform might transform glioblastoma treatment (00:00:00)
2. Defining The Undruggable Problem (00:03:38)
3. Two Paths: Allostery And Degradation (00:04:26)
4. Why Allosteric Control Matters (00:06:00)
5. Event‑Driven Pharmacology Explained (00:07:06)
6. Synergies Across Modalities (00:08:03)
7. Reversing Tumour Immune Evasion (00:09:29)
8. Overcoming Degrader Design Hurdles (00:11:56)
9. Power Of Global Collaborations (00:13:51)
10. TEAD Degradation And Biomarkers (00:15:50)
11. Making LSD1 Targeting Work In Humans (00:18:52)
12. Smarter Diagnostics And Biomarkers (00:21:26)
13. Beyond PROTACs: New Modalities (00:23:06)
14. Choosing Targets With Real Impact (00:25:20)
15. Pipeline, Partnerships, And Growth (00:27:13)
16. Patient Focus And Closing Thoughts (00:29:12)
13 episodes
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