Good Therapeutics

Good Therapeutics, a Seattle-based biopharmaceutical firm, was established in 2016 by scientist and serial entrepreneur John Mulligan, Ph.D. Mulligan, who holds a doctorate in biology from Stanford University, previously founded and led other biotech ventures, including Glycostasis, which was sold to Eli Lilly, and Blue Heron Biotechnology. His experience in genomics and drug discovery shaped the core mission of Good Therapeutics: to create a new class of medicines that act only where they are needed in the body.

The company engineers conditionally active protein therapeutics that are designed to remain inert until they bind to a specific target. This innovative approach addresses a significant challenge in medicine, particularly in immuno-oncology, where potent treatments often cause severe systemic side effects. The technology combines a sensor component, which recognizes a specific biological marker, with a therapeutic component. The therapeutic element is activated only when the sensor binds to its designated target, allowing for highly localized treatment and minimizing toxicity to healthy tissues.

The primary focus for Good Therapeutics was the development of context-dependent therapies for cancer. Its lead program centered on a PD-1-regulated interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor agonist. While IL-2 is a powerful immune modulator known to fight cancer, its systemic administration can be highly toxic. Good's solution was a therapeutic that delivered potent IL-2 stimulation specifically to T cells expressing the PD-1 immune marker, which are often found in tumors. This precision activation mechanism was the company's key value proposition.

The business model was centered on developing promising drug programs and then selling them to larger pharmaceutical companies with the resources for global development and commercialization. This strategy proved successful in September 2022, when Roche acquired the company in a definitive merger agreement. The deal involved an upfront payment of $250 million, with the potential for additional milestone payments. Roche gained the rights to the PD-1-regulated IL-2 program and an exclusive license to the platform technology for developing similar therapeutics. Following the acquisition, the entire Good Therapeutics team transitioned to a new entity named Bonum Therapeutics to continue applying the core technology to other targets in immuno-oncology and beyond.

Keywords: immuno-oncology, conditionally active therapeutics, protein therapeutics, targeted therapy, cytokine therapy, PD-1, IL-2, biopharmaceutical, Roche, Bonum Therapeutics