Advancing Cancer Care by Developing Targeted Cancer Therapeutics
What we do at Welmedis:
Cancer is not a homogeneous disease but a collection of multiple disorders with unifying hallmarks. Because of this diversity, different sub-groups of cancer patients can respond differently to the same treatments.
At Welmedis, we identify groups of cancer patients that lack effective treatment options and develop targeted therapeutics for each cancer profile.
Target identification:
A key part of our drug discovery process is identifying new targets. We use the RGCC diagnostic platform to obtain transcriptomic data from patient samples and integrate clinically relevant insights into our target identification pipeline. By combining these molecular profiles with the transcriptomic data derived from the bioscientific research based on human cell lines, we identify cancer-associated genes that currently lack effective treatment options. We then collaborate with RGCC laboratories to functionally investigate these genes and validate potential new drug targets.
Drug Discovery:
- Computational modeling in hit identification: One of the challenges in working with novel targets is the lack of structural information about the target proteins. To overcome this, we use sequence-to-structure models to predict the 3D structure of these target proteins. This enables us to design drugs based on the structure, giving us a strong starting point for drug discovery.
- Automation in Hit-to-Lead Optimization: After identifying initial drug candidates, we optimize them through a process known as hit-to-lead optimization. This phase involves exploring structure-activity relationships (SAR) to improve the efficacy and selectivity of the drug candidates. To accelerate this process, Welmedis employs automated, parallel synthesis techniques. Our robotic liquid handlers and mass-directed purification systems allow us to rapidly produce and analyze hundreds of drug candidates, significantly speeding up the lead optimization process.
- PROTAC Technology: Sometimes, simply inhibiting an enzyme isn’t enough, especially when protein-protein interactions are involved in cancer progression. For these cases, we use PROTAC (Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras) technology. This innovative approach lets us design bifunctional molecules that target proteins for degradation by the proteasome system. By doing so, we can selectively remove proteins that don’t respond to conventional inhibition.
A patient-centered approach:
At Welmedis, we are driven by the needs of the patient. Every step of our development process is focused on addressing the gaps in cancer treatment. We are dedicated to improving patient outcomes by developing new, selective, and personalized therapies for cancers that currently have no effective treatments.
What we do at
RGCC Central Europe
Based on human cancer cells grown in classical, as well as advanced three-dimensional cultivation systems, we identify cancer-specific gene and protein expression patterns for further drug development and unveil the cellular interactions in the tumor micro-environment. With our bioscientific cancer research, we aim to:
- Identify and evaluate novel cancer targets, as well as biomarkers
- Validate promising anti-cancer drugs on the protein and cellular level
- Investigate new therapeutic approaches
- Explore the resistance mechanisms
- Assess drug synergisms
- Decipher tumor micro-environment
What We Do at RGCC Greece
The diagnostic laboratory offers a wide range of tests to:
- Detect and isolate Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) from patients
- Analyze the genetic and epigenetic status
- Perform gene expression analysis of specific cancer markers
With this huge data resource, RGCC Greece strongly supports the identification of new druggable targets and biomarkers.
Learn more about our ongoing projects
For more detailed insights into our ongoing projects and their current status, please explore our dedicated Pipeline page.