Hibiskus

Hibiskus BioPharma, Inc. operated as a biopharmaceutical company with a focus on developing small-molecule therapeutic solutions for cancer treatment. The company was founded in 2017 by Dr. André Bachmann and Dr. Michael Pirrung. Dr. Bachmann is a professor and cancer researcher at Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine, while Dr. Pirrung is a distinguished professor and drug researcher at the University of California, Riverside. Their combined expertise in cancer research and drug discovery formed the foundation of the company, which was established with support from Spartan Innovations and Red Cedar Ventures, both subsidiaries of the Michigan State University Foundation.

The company's core business was centered on the development of its lead drug candidate, TIR-199. This compound is a potent proteasome inhibitor derived from the syrbactin natural product family. The therapeutic works by inhibiting the digestive function of proteasomes in cancer cells, which leads to a toxic accumulation of cellular proteins and ultimately triggers apoptosis, or programmed cell death. Preclinical studies, including those at the National Cancer Institute, indicated that these novel inhibitors could be effective in treating a number of solid tumor cancers and might offer a superior safety profile. The molecule was shown to be effective in cell lines for various cancers, including renal, colon, lung, melanoma, ovarian, prostate, and breast cancers. It also demonstrated effectiveness against chemoresistant multiple myeloma and mantle cell lymphoma.

In a significant milestone, Hibiskus BioPharma was acquired by Lodo Therapeutics Corp. on September 3, 2020. The acquisition included all of Hibiskus's operating assets and intellectual property. As part of the deal, Lodo also secured exclusive worldwide rights from the University of California, Riverside, and Michigan State University to the preclinical proteasome inhibitors developed by Hibiskus's founders. Following the acquisition, the lead drug candidate TIR-199 was renamed LODO-141, and its development was consolidated into Lodo's pipeline, leveraging Lodo's natural product drug discovery platform. The transaction aimed to combine Hibiskus's specialized portfolio with Lodo's advanced discovery technologies to accelerate the development of new cancer therapies. Keywords: Hibiskus BioPharma, cancer therapy, small-molecule drugs, proteasome inhibitors, oncology, TIR-199, André Bachmann, Michael Pirrung, Lodo Therapeutics, syrbactin, apoptosis, multiple myeloma, solid tumors, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical, cancer research, LODO-141