Sunesis: Looking for the hotspots

The first generation of biotechnology companies began with a focus on proteins as therapeutics, for example monoclonal antibodies, enzymes or hormones. The lesson from pharmaceutical companies, however, is that small organic molecules make the best drugs due to oral bioavailability and pharmacokinetic characteristics. Sunesis Pharmaceuticals Inc. plans to bring biotechnology full circle by discovering small molecules that target protein-protein interactions as a means to replace established protein biologics with oral drugs.

The company's technology is based on finding small molecules that bind to the interface between a particular protein and its target, using the standard disciplines of structural biology, biochemistry, cell biology and combinatorial and medicinal chemistry. "What's unique about us is that the technology involves an integrated chemistry/biology approach," said President and CSO James Wells...