Acylin Therapeutics

Acylin Therapeutics, a drug discovery company established in 2009, focuses on developing treatments for cancer and other inflammatory diseases. The Seattle-based firm was co-founded by Suresh Jain, who also served as President & COO. The company's scientific foundation was built upon intellectual property from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and The Wistar Institute, based on the discoveries of Dr. Philip A. Cole and Dr. Ronen Marmorstein. Their work was pivotal in crystallizing histone acetyltransferase (HAT) family members and identifying drug-like inhibitors.

Acylin Therapeutics operates in the drug discovery industry with a primary focus on oncology, central nervous system disorders, and metabolic diseases. The company's core business involves identifying and developing small molecule inhibitors of enzymes crucial to disease pathology. Specifically, Acylin was the first biotech to target the histone acetyltransferase (HAT) p300/CBP. HATs are enzymes that catalyze protein acetylation, a process fundamental to the molecular pathology of cancer, metabolic disease, and neurodegeneration. By inhibiting these enzymes, the company's therapeutic strategy aims to induce apoptosis and inhibit cell growth in cancer cells. In addition to its HAT inhibitor program, the company licensed technology for inhibiting Ghrelin O-Acyl Transferase (GOAT), an enzyme linked to energy balance, to develop treatments for metabolic disorders.

The company was financed by Accelerator Life Science Partners (formerly Accelerator Corporation) and a syndicate of venture capital partners including ARCH Venture Partners, Amgen Ventures, and Alexandria Venture Investments. Acylin Therapeutics raised a total of $6.4 million over two funding rounds, which supported its research and development activities. In July 2020, Acylin Therapeutics was acquired by the global pharmaceutical company AbbVie, marking a significant milestone for the firm.

Keywords: Acylin Therapeutics, cancer treatment, drug discovery, histone acetyltransferase inhibitors, p300/CBP inhibitors, small molecule inhibitors, oncology, metabolic diseases, neurodegeneration, Ghrelin O-Acyl Transferase, GOAT inhibitors, protein acetylation, Suresh Jain, Accelerator Life Science Partners, ARCH Venture Partners, Amgen Ventures, AbbVie acquisition, Johns Hopkins University, The Wistar Institute, cell growth inhibition, apoptosis