Shasqi, a clinical-stage biotech company specializing in improving the effectiveness of cancer drugs using click chemistry, has announced an expansion of its ongoing research collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Enterprise Innovation Inc.

In this extended collaboration, Shasqi will leverage its clinically validated Click Activated Protodrugs Against Cancer (CAPAC®) technology to develop new cancer therapies. The research will focus on Shasqi's intratumorally injected biopolymer (SQL70), with the goal of developing and advancing an additional payload through preclinical testing.

One of the unique features of CAPAC is its separation of tumor targeting and payload. This separation allows for the optimization of drug activity while limiting toxicities during development, including in clinical trials. The expanded collaboration will provide the opportunity to explore the efficacy of an additional payload that can be paired with the biopolymer activator, aiding in the identification of the next clinical candidate.

Shasqi's CAPAC platform relies on chemistry, rather than biology, to activate drugs within the tumor. It consists of two separate components: a tumor-targeting agent and a cancer therapeutic. When the protodrug, administered systemically, reaches the targeting agent at the tumor site, the cancer therapeutic is activated through click chemistry, a Nobel Prize-winning technology. This approach allows Shasqi to deliver high doses of cancer drugs directly to the tumor site while minimizing toxicity to healthy cells. Shasqi holds the distinction of being the first company to use click chemistry in human applications.

The modular nature of the CAPAC platform offers expansion opportunities with partners to rapidly assess different payloads and develop novel therapies with specific attributes. This expanded collaboration underscores the collaborative and productive relationship between Shasqi and Johnson & Johnson Enterprise Innovation Inc.