Science & Platform
Our name refers to the Red Queen hypothesis in evolutionary biology, which posits that species constantly compete in a race to be predator rather than prey. Red Queen’s novel, patented technology works to outcompete viral evolution, to protect humanity from dangerous illnesses.
Our platform is based on stapled peptides that prevent viral fusion to the host cell membrane, thereby preventing entry of the virus and infection.
These stapled peptide therapeutics can be formulated and delivered in various ways, via nasal spray, inhaler, or injection.
Stapled helical peptide chemistry resolves the shortcomings of peptide therapeutics
2. Insert non-natural
amino acids
3. Chemically "staple" the peptide
- Restores alpha-helical
structure to bioactive peptides - Confers proteolytic resistance
1. Unstructured peptide
- Loss of functional shape
- Easily degraded
- Poor pharmacology
3. Stapled peptide
- Stabilized structure
- Not degraded
- Tissue persistence
Red Queen’s therapeutics target a conserved sequence area of a virus that is constrained from mutating and conserved across species. This means that they can be used across the entire viral species and against future variants.
Our target is the six-helix bundle fusion mechanism of viral infection.
Structural similarities across targets allow for the rapid deployment of our approach across a range of viral illnesses.
Red Queen can develop a candidate for an emerging viral threat within weeks.
Publications
Hydrocarbon double-stapling remedies the proteolytic instability of a lengthy peptide therapeutic (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, July 2010)
Distinct BimBH3 (BimSAHB) stapled peptides for structural and cellular studies (ACS Chemical Biology, January 2014)
Hydrocarbon-stapled peptides: principles, practice, and progress (Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, March 2014)
Mucosal delivery of a double-stapled RSV peptide prevents nasopulmonary infection (Journal of Clinical Investigation, April 2014)
