Cyrus Biotechnology, Inc., a Seattle-based biotech company leveraging a novel hybrid AI/screening platform for biologics discovery, will showcase its expertise in protein engineering and risk mitigation for therapeutics at the inaugural Hit ID Summit in Boston. The presentation, scheduled for Tuesday, November 12 at 1pm at the Boston Back Bay Hilton, will be delivered by Dr. Yifan Song, Chief Science Officer and Co-founder of Cyrus.
Dr. Song will highlight the company’s preclinical work on a next-generation IgG-degrader (Immunoglobulin degrading enzyme from S. pyogenes, or IdeS) targeting autoimmune diseases and gene therapy pre-treatment. The IdeS program demonstrates the power of Cyrus’s protein engineering platform in optimizing biologics to develop derisked, validated, and manufacturable therapeutic candidates.
At the Hit ID Summit in Boston, Cyrus Biotechnology will present its cutting-edge capabilities in protein engineering, specifically highlighting its next-generation IdeS IgG-degrader optimized for autoimmune disease treatment. Dr. Yifan Song, Chief Science Officer and Co-founder of Cyrus, will discuss the company’s use of AI-driven protein design, leveraging algorithms from the 2024 Nobel Prize-winning Baker Lab and high-throughput screening to develop a best-in-class IdeS candidate.
Cyrus’s IdeS candidate has been meticulously engineered for key therapeutic properties, including serum half-life, enzymatic activity, stability, and reduced immunogenicity against B and T cells. These innovations have been made possible through collaborations with top pharmaceutical companies like Genentech, Janssen, and Selecta Bio.
Key Findings from the Presentation:
- Extended Half-Life and Improved Pharmacodynamics: Cyrus’s IdeS candidate demonstrates a significantly extended half-life compared to wild-type IdeS, with IgG levels rapidly reduced and maintained at low titers for at least 14 days in rabbits. In contrast, wild-type IdeS reduces IgG for less than 7 days.
- Targeted IgG Reduction: The IdeS candidate exhibits near-wild-type IgG degrading activity both in vitro and in vivo. It can be titrated for precise IgG reduction and is effective at very low doses.
- Immunogenicity Reduction: Cyrus has developed a proprietary platform to reduce the immunogenicity of protein therapeutics. Unlike the wild-type IdeS, which triggers a strong anti-IdeS antibody response after just one dose, Cyrus’s engineered version substantially reduces this immune reaction. Novel data from rabbit studies show that Cyrus’s IdeS does not elicit anti-IdeS antibodies for at least two weeks after administration, while wild-type IdeS induces a strong immune response.
- Multi-Dose Efficacy: In multi-dose studies, low doses of Cyrus’s IdeS retain potent IgG-reducing activity, while wild-type IdeS loses efficacy after the first dose. This allows for the possibility of repeated, effective dosing.
Potential for Chronic Autoimmune Indications:
“We believe these results, combined with the ability to titrate the potency of IdeS at very low doses, will allow us to administer Cyrus’s IdeS via convenient subcutaneous injections for chronic conditions like autoimmune Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP) and **generalized Myasthenia Gravis (gMG),” said *Lucas Nivon*, CEO and Co-founder of Cyrus Biotechnology. “The *FcRn inhibitor* class has shown clinical success in reducing IgG for gMG, but Cyrus’s IdeS offers faster IgG reduction, greater potency, and likely a more convenient administration route, with the potential to outperform current treatments.”
About the Hit ID Summit
The Hit ID Summit serves as a hub for medicinal chemists, computational scientists, and drug discovery experts from large pharma and biotech companies to share their latest advancements in hit screening strategies and therapeutic discovery.
About Cyrus Biotechnology
Cyrus Biotechnology is a pre-clinical-stage, AI-driven therapeutics company focused on developing novel biologics, primarily for autoimmune diseases. The company is advancing its next-generation IdeS IgG protease with extended half-life and optimized immunogenicity for the treatment of IgG-mediated autoimmune disorders, as well as several cytokine-based programs.
Founded with the collaboration of Prof. David Baker, 2024 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry and inventor of Rosetta and other protein design AI tools, Cyrus has partnered with major pharmaceutical companies such as Genentech, Janssen, and others to redesign proteins for novel therapeutics. In 2021, Cyrus began developing its own therapeutics pipeline.
