Debio 0432 is a small molecule deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) designed to target several types of tumours by targeting USP1. Credit: Alexander Raths via Shutterstock.

Ubiquigent and Debiopharm have teamed up to support the development of Debiopharm’s ubiquitin-specific protease 1 (USP1) inhibitor programme, Debio 0432. 

Currently in late-stage preclinical development, Debio 0432 is a small molecule deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) designed to target several types of tumours by targeting USP1, an important player in DNA damage repair. Through its potent and selective inhibition of USP, Debio 0432 is believed to cause synthetic lethality in tumours with faulty DNA repair genes such as BCRA1. 

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

Debiopharm obtained global rights to the USP1 inhibitor from Novo Nordisk in March 2023. Debio 0432 was originally developed by Forma Therapeutics, which was acquired by Novo Nordisk in 2022. 

Under the agreement, Ubiquigent will deploy its DUB-focused platform and knowledge of the DUB field to develop target engagement assays, supporting Debio 0432’s journey to the clinic. 

DUBs are proteins that regulate the degradation of other proteins in cells by removing ubiquitin molecules. In cancer, DUBs often become dysregulated, leading to abnormal levels of key proteins involved in cell growth, proliferation, and survival. This dysregulation can promote tumour development and progression by affecting DNA repair, cell cycle regulation, and apoptosis. 

See Also:

Debiopharm isn’t the only company developing DUB inhibitors. Earlier this year, Tango Therapeutics dosed the first patient in the Phase I/II clinical trial investigating its USP1 inhibitor TNG348. The study (NCT06065059) will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and preliminary antitumour activity of TNG348 alone, and in combination with AstraZeneca’s PARP inhibitor Lynparza (olaparib) in 140 patients with BRCA1/2 mutant or homologous recombination deficiency (HRD)+ solid tumours. 

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

In December 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared UK-based Mission Therapeutics’s investigational new drug (IND) application for its DUB inhibitor, MTX652, to treat acute kidney injury (AKI). In 2018, the company collaborated with pharma giant AbbVie for the research and preclinical development of DUB therapies to treat Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. 

In the announcement accompanying the agreement, Debiopharm’s CEO Bertrand Ducrey said: “Ubiquigent’s specialised drug discovery platform is uniquely positioned to support our USP1 inhibitor programme as it approaches the clinic, enabling the development of novel target engagement assays.  

“Selective inhibition of USP1 to interrupt DNA damage repair pathway is an exciting approach to cancer treatment.”