Indel Targeting Approach

Indel’s core technology is based on an as yet unexploited and completely novel antimicrobial targeting paradigm. This patented technology opens a rich, new area of drug targets for the treatment of bacterial and parasitic infections and, potentially, fungal and viral infections.

To appreciate just how revolutionary the Indel approach is, it is important to understand the conventional antimicrobial drug discovery methodology.

Historically, antimicrobial drug discovery focused on targets (essential proteins) that were specific to the pathogen, avoiding proteins that were evolutionarily conserved between human and pathogen due to concerns about toxicity.  Based on what was known at the time, this was a valid concern, but what was not appreciated was that while these evolutionarily conserved proteins were similar, time, evolutionary pressure and mutation has created areas of difference between these conserved proteins. Indel’s technology allows it to identify and selectively target discrete regions within these areas of difference with small molecules, opening the door to a whole new area of targeting.

The Indel platform technology allows it to identify and target discrete amino acid insertion / deletion differences (“indels”) between essential homologous proteins that are evolutionarily conserved across the pathogen (bacteria) and humans. Based upon these structural differences, the Company can selectively target the pathogen protein with small molecules without hitting the human counterpart protein, thereby reducing toxicity concerns. And because these proteins are conserved across species, they tend to have important roles, not only making them attractive drug targets but also making it more difficult for the pathogen to mutate and develop resistance because any mutation of these essential proteins could be lethal.

Indel targets, a scientific and medical breakthrough, are thought to be one of the first new major classes of antimicrobial targets identified in decades, and provide a way to attack drug-resistant microbes by inhibiting indel-differentiated targets with novel drugs.

The Indel platform technology:

• Identifies novel targets in bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and viral pathogens – a truly novel, broad-based antimicrobial technology platform.
• Leverages a distinct advantage conferred against resistance – targeting highly conserved, critical hub bacterial targets that may have an advantage against the development of drug resistance.
• Allows for selection of targets with either broad spectrum or narrowly defined spectra of activity against one or a few pathogens that are clinically advantageous to combat resistance.
• Produces exact knowledge of the target every time.
• Enables quick, economical identification and validation of targets using an in silico (computer based) discovery platform.
• Delivers an earlier view of toxicity profiles, which may accelerate compound selection decisions.

Indel Therapeutics is building a strong intellectual property position based on one issued and a number of pending patents. The company’s IP strategy is multi-tiered starting with broad platform patents, indel target patents and finally composition of matter patents. The company is developing a proprietary database of indel targets and is also creating knowhow and trade secrets related to identifying and targeting indel differentiated regions. This has created a formidable barrier to any company wanting to take advantage of our targeting approach and drug discovery platform technology.