Innovative Drug Discovery Strategy

Matrix Biomed, Inc.’s innovative drug discovery and development strategy represents the cutting edge of pharmaceutical development by delivering  focused drug products with predictable results for addressing the multifactorial nature of many human diseases. These drug products are directed to address both the dysregulation of genes as well as gene-gene interactions in various biological processes. Matrix Biomed, Inc. departs with standard industry practices by defining the functional connection between genes, diseases, and drugs. Matrix Biomed, Inc. generates a more relevant disease model by constructing gene regulatory networks involved in biological processes associated with disease pathogenesis. Generation of a more relevant disease model provides predictable therapeutic outcomes for the developed drug products.

Gene Relevance Redefining Diseases for Drug Development

Genes are the building blocks of all biological function and processes. They provide instruction for cellular formation and operation. Genes are quantified and studied in the context of their expression. At appropriate expression levels, genes maintain a healthy state of the cell. However, these expression levels are impacted by many internal and/or external factors resulting in overexpression of underexpression of the gene relative to the healthy state. This altered gene expression manifests as a disease or disease state of the cell.. Matrix Biomed, Inc. creates gene profiles for diseases by identifying the genes having an altered expression level. Each gene profile of the disease represents the therapeutic target genes that Matrix Biomed, Inc. then develops compounds to correct.

Matrix Biomed, Inc. creates extensive gene co-expression networks that are able to identify correlations between genes indicating which genes are active or inactive simultaneously. These co-expression networks are integral in identifying which genes are impacted and active in the same biological processes. This approach identifies genes with varying co-expression partners under different conditions, such as disease states, tissue types, developmental stages, and drug administration. Many genes identified in a co-expression network are not easily identified in a gene regulatory network and therefore give Matrix Biomed, Inc. a more comprehensive understanding of the disease gene signature as well as the drug gene signature. Without addressing the co-expression of genes, traditional therapies fail to account for all the factors and genes influenced by a disease state. Even more, Matrix Biomed, Inc. identifies and analyzes the drug-disease gene co-expression to identify any changes in global gene expression due to drug administration. This allows them to address any unwanted side effects or secondary concerns. From this information, Matrix Biomed, Inc. is able to design therapies to address all of the co-expressed genes minimizing side-effects and addressing the totality of the disease. These therapies may require multiple compounds to address the gene regulatory network, the disease gene co-expression, and the drug-disease co-expression.

Dysfunctional Gene Expression Profiles in Disease Drive Drug Development

Matrix Biomed, Inc. utilizes these gene regulatory networks and gene co-expression networks to identify novel therapeutic approaches to the treatment of diseases. By redefining human diseases within these networks, Matrix Biomed, Inc. gains a broader understanding of the disease mechanism and drug-disease mechanism. Matrix Biomed, Inc. is able to identify new indications for existing drugs through the gene profiling of drugs and the creation of disease gene regulatory networks and gene co-expression networks. Understanding these disease-drug gene expression relationships allows Matrix Biomed, Inc. to accelerate the discovery and identification of novel therapeutic approaches to revert a disease state to a healthy state.

One novel aspect of this approach to drug discovery is the ability to discover drug products that can endogenously and safely regulate a target gene or protein. Instead of providing exogenous inhibition of a particular gene or protein, Matrix Biomed, Inc. is able to identify up or downstream proteins or genes that naturally and endogenously regulate the target protein or gene providing sustained relief with minimal side effects. Accordingly, with seven compounds under development, Matrix Biomed, Inc. has identified TEMPOL, formally 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl, as the lead compound directing current clinical trial development.

Example of Endogenous Regulation for Improved Therapeutics: