Diagnostic can detect activated RSK2, a prime target in TNBC, in breast cancer patients-
VANCOUVER, British Columbia and SAN DIEGO, Jan. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Phoenix Molecular Designs (PhoenixMD), a privately-held biotechnology company designing precise cancer therapeutics by targeting essential kinases, announced that it has entered into a collaboration with Roche to develop a diagnostic (CDx) in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The Roche CDx identifies RSK2 activation in human tumors. In cancer, the PDK-1 and MAPK pathways converge on RSK2 to activate it, moving it from the cytoplasm into the nucleus. Measuring nuclear RSK2 signifies activation and abundance of this emerging drug target.
Complementing its diagnostic efforts, PhoenixMD has also developed PMD-026, which is the first orally available small molecule inhibitor that targets RSK2, a prime drug target in multiple cancers. The leading focus for PhoenixMD is in the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) given the companies’ core expertise in developing breast cancer therapeutics.