R&D Initiatives

We have several ongoing R&D projects at RG Discovery (RGD).

• Project Nile aims at developing novel compounds for an epigenetic target in the treatment of cancer. This project is a collaboration between RGD, SARomics Biostructures (SBX) and a research group led by Professor Jonas Nilsson at Sahlgrenska Hospital (Gothenburg, Sweden). Candidate drug development activities are supported by a research grant from Vinnova (the Swedish innovation agency). In 2021 a company Zerapeutics AB was founded.
• Project Ganges, a collaboration between SARomcs Biostructures and RGD, is built on the foundation of a successful fragment screen, where hits for this bromodomain-class target were identified using our exclusive WAC technology. Further validation led to X-ray co-crystal structures revealing a possibility for developing a PPI inhibitor-type molecule. The project is currently in the hit expansion phase and entering hit-to-lead.
• A previous project has been spun out into a separate company, Apoglyx, where RGD is a co-owner. Apoglyx research is based on aquaporins, a group of structures in cell membranes discovered in 1991 by Peter Agre and awarded with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2003. Aquaporins have been recognized as potential drug targets and may have roles for development of autoimmune diseases, cancer, diabetes, malaria, inflammation and sepsis. The lead compound – RG100204, has shown promising effects against sepsis when evaluated in vivo.
• The project Elbe, recently funded by Vinnova, has RG Discovery teaming up with the leading peptide API manufacturer PolyPeptide to evaluate the scope of developing a manufacturing process without using the toxic solvent DMF. Both companies have prior and valuable Green Chemistry experience. This project has potential to further accentuate Sweden at a global level as a natural arena for sustainable innovation, development and manufacturing of peptide-based therapies.
• The objective in the joint project Sognefjorden between RGD and Cellmover AS is to deliver a broad checkpoint inhibitor for cancer therapy. One track aims for a cell-permeable nanobody with a broad specificity for the consensus motifandthe other to design and develop a cell-permeable peptide- or macrocycle-based drug molecule based on the nanobody paratope. This project has received funding from the Eurostars 3 programme with co-financing from the European Union’s research and innovation programme Horizon Europe.

Science

RG Discovery (RGD) invests heavily in remaining at the forefront of research and innovation. Ninety-five percent of our staff currently work in lab- or other science-based positions. In addition to actively producing peer-reviewed research papers, we have contributed to several patents for both clients and internal RGD projects. A number of our scientists are appointed lecturers at Lund University and Lund Technical University and serve in advisory roles shaping the teaching curriculum in chemistry / biomedicine and chemical engineering programs respectively. RGD actively engages in collaboration with academia to address societal challenges, welcoming diploma workers to participate in projects from all of our scientific disciplines.

Besides drug and technology projects, RG Discovery is committed to contribute to green chemistry. Over the last years, a focus area has been peptide chemistry where we aim to replace toxic solvents, such as DMF, and other chemicals, e.g. piperidine, making the process greener. A recent success is the collaboration project with Polypeptide where the joint project team identified green alternative ways both for the release of a GLP1 peptide from the solid support used in the synthesis, and for removal of protecting groups from the peptide during the synthesis. Additionally, efforts have been made to recycle some of the green solvents used with good results, further contributing to a green sustainable synthesis process design.

Publications