[December 02, 2014]

Nurix Launches Collaboration with Mount Sinai Hospital's Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute to Expand its Drug Discovery Program

Nurix, Inc., a leader in discovering innovative drugs that modulate protein function through the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS), announced today the initiation of a research collaboration with Frank Sicheri, Ph.D., Senior Investigator at Mount Sinai Hospital's Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute in Toronto, which is one of the world's leading biomedical research centers. Dr. Sicheri is a pioneer in the elucidation of structure and function of E2 ubiquitin conjugating enzymes, important components of the UPS. His groundbreaking work has included elucidation of the three-dimensional structure of Cdc34a-ubiquitin complex with small molecule inhibitors.

"We are delighted to join forces with Dr. Sicheri to enhance our network of thought-leaders working on the ubiquitin proteasome system," stated Mark Gallop, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Nurix. "By collaborating with Dr. Sicheri and his group, we are expanding our discovery efforts beyond E3 ubiquitin ligases to E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes that function in conjunction with ligases to control protein ubiquitylation, intracellular stability and localization. Manipulation of this enzymatic cascade holds significant therapeutic potential in oncology and immunology."

During this collaboration, Nurix and Dr. Sicheri will collaborate on the identification, structural definition and functional validation of small molecule modulators of E2 conjugating enzymes. Under the terms of this collaboration, Nurix will sponsor a multi-year program in Dr. Sicheri's labortory and will have preferential access to program discoveries.

"It is a pleasure to collaborate with Nurix, a pioneering company focused on discovering breakthrough drugs that selectively modulate the ubiquitin proteasome system," stated Dr. Sicheri. "I look forward to building on Nurix's commitment to identifying and understanding, at the molecular level, how this important cellular system can be harnessed to treat disease."

About Nurix

Nurix, Inc. is a leader in discovering and developing a new class of drugs that work by modulating the protein regulation machinery of the cell through the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS). The UPS is a regulatory pathway that controls protein stabilization and degradation, a function vital to the healthy life of a cell, and presents therapeutic opportunities in multiple disease areas, including oncology and immuno-oncology. Nurix's state-of-the-art product engine leverages a deep mechanistic understanding of the UPS to deliver effective small molecule drug candidates with the potential to make a dramatic difference for patients. Nurix was founded by internationally recognized experts in the ubiquitin proteasome field and is funded by leading life science investors, Third Rock Ventures and The Column Group. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California. For more information, please visit www.nurix-inc.com.

About Mount Sinai Hospital

Mount Sinai Hospital is an internationally recognized, 472-bed acute care academic health sciences centre affiliated with University of Toronto. It is known for excellence in the provision of compassionate patient care, innovative education, and leading-edge research at Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (www.lunenfeld.ca).

Mount Sinai's Centres of Excellence include the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute; Women's and Infants' Health; Surgery and Oncology; Acute and Chronic Medicine; and Laboratory Medicine and Infection Control.

Mount Sinai Hospital brings together Bright Minds and Big Hearts to provide The Best Medicine. www.mountsinai.on.ca

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]