The human arsenal is well-known for always being on the loaded side, but despite all the volume, it doesn’t have anything more valuable than our tendency to grow on a consistent basis. This is because the stated tendency has already allowed us to hit upon some huge milestones, with technology proving to be a major member of that group. The reason why technology enjoys such an esteemed stature in our lives is largely predicated upon its skill-set, which was unique enough to introduce us to a reality that we couldn’t have imagined otherwise. Nevertheless, if we care to look a little bit deeper, it becomes clear how the whole runner is also inspired by the way we applied those skills in a real-world setting. The latter component was, in fact, what gave the creation a spectrum-wide presence, including a perfectly-timed entry into our healthcare sphere. Technology’s linkup with healthcare was flawless in regards to the timing because it came right when the sector was beginning to struggle against its own obsolete structure. This reality was fortunately revamped under the new regime, but even after going so far, the medtech discipline will somehow continue to produce all the right goods. The same has only turned more evident over the recent past, and Sudo Biosciences’ latest funding gives it every bit of chance to keep that momentum alive.
Sudo Biosciences, a biopharmaceutical company committed to designing and developing a broad pipeline of best-in-class precision TYK2 (tyrosine kinase 2) inhibitors, has successfully secured over $37M in Series A financing. The round, which was led by Frazier Life Sciences and Velosity Capital, will reportedly help the company’s bid to advance its lead drug candidates to human testing. When we say lead drug candidates, we are talking about four specific programs that Sudo initiated to address the tyrosine kinase 2, or TYK2 enzyme target. TYK2 hails from a protein family called Janus kinases (JAKs). As the JAK family is known for having grave immunity-related implications, pharmtech companies have used specialized JAK inhibitors to treat a wide range of autoimmune disorders. Now, while the stated application has yielded notably positive results, it has also caused some serious side effects along the way. TYK2, however, sets itself apart by offering a much safer avenue. You see, a TYK2 inhibitor can avoid the potential side effects by binding to a different spot rather than the active site. Mind you, heading to a different spot doesn’t sacrifice any efficacy on the drug’s part. It just saves us from interacting with those volatile JAK proteins.
“Our team has made significant progress in the past two years, with strategic and financial support from Frazier and Velosity,” said Scott Byrd, CEO of Sudo Biosciences. “TYK2 inhibitors are quickly emerging as the next major class of anti-inflammatory therapeutics. In a short period of time, we have developed four distinct TYK2 pseudokinase programs in our pipeline, which are all uniquely positioned to be a best-in-class category leader.”
Fair enough, the market for TYK2 has been on a wholly upwards trajectory in the recent times. Not long ago, we saw Nimbus Therapeutics securing $125 million to fund mid-stage clinical trials of its TYK2-blocking drug in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, while Ventyx Biosciences raised $177 million private placement to fund clinical development of its drug pipeline, including, you guessed it, a TYK2-blocking drug.
