The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Spin Out is developing a platform of anticancer therapies.

Researchers at John Hopkins School of Medicine led by Barbara Slusher, a Professor of Neurology, and Jonathan Powell, a Professor of Oncology, developed a technique for modifying an existing drug candidate so that it can pass through the blood-brain barrier. The compound they targeted was 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine (DON), which has been shown in clinical trials to shrink advanced tumors but also causes significant gastrointestinal system damage, preventing its further development.

The team focused on reducing the toxicity of DON by increasing its ability to penetrate the brain and limiting its exposure to other parts of the body. In animal studies, the modified version of DON was delivered ten times more often to the brain than the rest of the animals’ bodies. 

Dracen Pharmaceuticals was founded in 2017 to commercialize this new technology. It recently raised just over $40 million in funding for the development of its platform of oncology drugs. The company has an exclusive license agreement with Johns Hopkins and the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry in Prague.

Dracen is specifically focused on novel glutamine antagonists that inhibit cancer metabolism. The technology may also be applicable for the development of drugs that treat autoimmune disorders, inflammatory disease and central nervous system conditions. According to Dracen CEO Tom Estok, the company may have candidates in the clinic in 2019.