Lysosomal Targeting Chimeras Targeting Protein Degradation

Lycia Therapeutics is at the forefront of biotechnology with its innovative LYTAC (Lysosomal Targeting Chimera) platform, which focuses on the targeted degradation of extracellular proteins. This technology addresses a significant gap in current therapeutic approaches, as traditional methods primarily target intracellular proteins, leaving a substantial portion of the human proteome—specifically, extracellular and secreted proteins—untreated. By leveraging lysosomal degradation mechanisms, LYTACs enable the depletion of difficult-to-drug targets, including those associated with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The platform utilizes internalizing receptors, such as the mannose-6-phosphate receptor, to facilitate the transport of linked extracellular target binders into lysosomes for degradation, thereby offering a novel approach to treating conditions previously deemed intractable.

The potential applications of the LYTAC platform are vast, as it can target a range of disease-causing proteins, including soluble proteins, pathogenic aggregates, and membrane proteins. Lycia Therapeutics is actively advancing its pipeline of LYTAC degraders, with a focus on autoimmune and inflammatory indications, and has established collaborations to enhance the development of these therapeutics. The company’s strategic partnerships, such as the one with Eli Lilly and Company, aim to discover and commercialize novel targeted therapeutics, further underscoring the promise of LYTAC technology in addressing unmet medical needs across various therapeutic areas.

United States

Lycia is building a platform to develop LYTAC (lysosomal targeting chimera) protein degraders that harness the cell’s lysosomal trafficking and degradation pathway to target both soluble and membrane-bound extracellular proteins. Applications of the LYTAC platform include: targeting challenging membrane proteins, clearing pathogenic immune complexes in circulation and depleting antibodies to specific antigens of interest. The platform can potentially deliver next-generation therapeutics to address a range of difficult-to-treat diseases, including cancer and autoimmune diseases.

Lycia Therapeutics

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