The University of Liverpool has announced the launch of a new biotech spin-out company, Galytx, to develop novel therapeutic drugs to treat cancer and fibrotic diseases.
The new company will focus on developing small molecular therapeutic drugs against a highly clinically molecular target, galectin-3, a carbohydrate-binding protein that has a close association with the pathogenesis, progression and morbidity of multiple fatal diseases, including cancer, fibrosis and inflammation.
Professor Lu-Gang Yu, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, has been leading research at the University of Liverpool and has recently identified several non-carbohydrate, wholly synthetic small molecular compounds as potent galectin-3 inhibitors that have shown huge potential to be developed as galectin-3-targeted novel therapeutic drugs for the treatment of fatal diseases.
Yu said: “Galectin-3 is increasingly recognised as a multi-functional, multi-mode promoter in cancer as well as in fibrosis-associated organ failures such as hearts, lungs and kidneys” and provides “an opportunity of developing a new class of drugs to treat these fatal diseases”.
Galytx will accelerate the therapeutic development of both clinical and pre-clinical compound inhibitors, including repurposed drugs, to address the significant unmet clinical need in these disease areas.
In particular, its lead clinical asset, a repurposed drug, has a strong and well-established safety record in chronic oral use, allowing a fast-track clinical development pathway with the potential to be developed as injectable therapeutics for acute use.
Dr Karen Sullivan, chief executive officer, Galytx, said: “Galytx is uniquely positioned to deliver the wide range of clinical benefits that we believe are possible by targeting galectin-3 in these disease areas that affect all of us.
“Having previously approved drugs as part of our asset portfolio means that we will be able to deliver these benefits faster and with far less risk than our competitors.”

https://pharmatimes.com/news/university-of-liverpool-launches-new-biotech-spin-out-company-galytx/