2024-03-13

-- Study follows ongoing Phase 1 trial in U.S. and will enroll patients in China to evaluate the first protein degrader developed using Ranok’s innovative CHAMPâ technology

BOSTON, MA and HANGZHOU, China, March 11, 2024 -- Ranok Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that is developing a novel approach to targeted protein degradation for the treatment of cancers, today announced the initiation of patient dosing in China for a Phase 1 study of RNK05047, its first protein degrader candidate. The study, which mirrors an ongoing Phase 1 study in the U.S., will evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of RNK05047 in Chinese patients with advanced solid tumors or lymphomas. Ranok anticipates preliminary data from both the US and China Phase 1 studies by the end of 2024.

“RNK05047, which has been developed using Ranok’s proprietary CHAMPÒ technology, is the first BRD4-selective protein degrader to have entered clinical testing in China. This extends our ongoing clinical study of RNK05047 in the U.S. to an Asian patient population, which we believe will provide important insights,” said Weiwen Ying, Ph.D, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ranok. “RNK05047 degrades BRD4 protein preferentially in tumors, which may potentially lead to improved safety and efficacy. We look forward to sharing initial results from both the US and China studies later this year.”

“BRD4 is an epigenetic target of great interest for the treatment of many different cancer types,” said Ning Li, M.D., Professor and Vice President of the National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) in Beijing China, as well as Lead Principal Investigator for this study. “The Cancer Hospital is the first and largest cancer hospital in China for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. We are excited to be participating in this study and are hopeful that RNK05047 will provide an important new therapeutic option for cancer patients.”

Additional information can be found at www.chinadrugtrials.org.cn (CTR20233943) and www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05487170).

About Ranok’s CHAMPâ platform

Ranok’s proprietary Chaperone-mediated Protein Degradation (CHAMPâ) platform takes advantage of the cellular chaperone network, which regulates the folding and stability of proteins, distinguishing it from other targeted protein degradation approaches. CHAMPs have a number of unique advantages, such as the evasion of mechanisms of drug resistance, and are designed to improve safety and efficacy due to the selective targeting of disease tissues.

About RNK05047

RNK05047 is a first-in-class, small-molecule, tumor- and BRD4-selective protein degrader that was discovered and developed using Ranok’s proprietary approach to targeted protein degradation, CHAMPâ. The bromodomain transcription factor BRD4 is a key epigenetic regulator of oncogenes such as MYC and BCL2 and is involved in diverse cancer types. Phase 1 trials of RNK05047 are currently underway in both the U.S. and China to assess its safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics, and also include measures of anti-tumor activity and pharmacodynamic readouts as secondary endpoints. Initial results are expected by the end of 2024.

About Ranok Therapeutics

Ranok is a privately held biopharmaceutical company that is pioneering CHAMPâ, an innovative approach to targeted protein degradation for the discovery and development of novel therapeutics. Our R&D team brings deep biological insight and chemistry expertise to rapidly identify and advance CHAMP degraders for a variety of important disease targets, with the goal to create transformative medicines that benefit patients around the world suffering from cancer and other serious diseases. For more information, please visit the company website at www.ranoktherapeutics.com or follow us on Twitter (@RanokTx) and LinkedIn.