A new biotech company has just hit the scene courtesy of Minneapolis-based venture studio Invenshure.
Focused on precision oncology, MEKanistic Therapeutics is spearheaded by Judith Sebolt-Leopold, PhD, and Christopher Whitehead, PhD, MBA. The two are specialists in the MEK inhibitor field, a type of chemical or drug that block mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase enzymes MEK1 and/or MEK2. The drugs have been shown to be effective in fighting some cancers. MEKanistic's drug blocks two pathways used to signal cancer growth in particular, EGFR and PI3K.
"MTX-531's initial application targets head and neck cancers with 900,000 cases worldwide per year," Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Sebolt-Leopold said in a release. "Ultimately, this drug has possible future applications for colon/rectal, esophageal, pancreatic, and some breast cancers. Our work could potentially impact millions of people each year."