BioMotiv, two universities launch Optikira

Drug development accelerator BioMotiv LLC (Cleveland, Ohio), the University of California San Francisco, and the University of Washington launched newco Optikira LLC (Cleveland, Ohio) to develop small molecules that prevent cell death caused by misfolded or unfolded proteins. Optikira holds an exclusive license to IP developed at the two universities.

Optikira aims to prevent overload of the unfolded protein response (UPR), the process by which cells respond to functionally abnormal proteins, by inhibiting IRE1-alpha with molecules the company calls kinase-inhibiting RNase attenuators (KIRAs). BioMotiv said overload of the process leads to progressive cell death in diseases including retinitis pigmentosa, diabetes, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ...