Prodegre secures tens of millions in Angel+ funding to tackle undruggable CNS and inflammation targets

Prodegre, a platform biotechnology company dedicated to the development of therapeutics for CNS and inflammation-related diseases through differentiated protein degradation and interaction modalities, announced the completion of a tens of millions Angel+ financing round. The round was led by the Fudan University Biomedical Translation Fund (hereinafter referred to as the "Sanfu Fund") under Furong Capital, with continued follow-on investment from Prodegre's core team. The proceeds from this financing will be primarily utilized to accelerate the research and development of the Prodegre ATLAS™ platform, and to advance the IND application for the first formulation and oral optimization of a-synuclein, a key pathogenic protein degrader for Parkinson's disease.

Based on a target-centric, multi-mechanism-driven research and development strategy, Prodegre has independently constructed the Prodegre ATLAS™, a differentiated protein degradation and interaction platform. Unlike traditional degradation technologies that rely on a single pathway and a single E3 ligase, this platform expands the accessible target space for degradation drugs through a multi-modal, multi-mechanism synergistic strategy. By integrating an AI-driven degron identification and virtual screening process, efficient warhead/E3 ligand design, and ternary complex DMPK optimization into a streamlined workflow, it systematically enhances degrader development efficiency, aiming to shift the development of degraders from large-scale screening or serendipitous discovery to rational design.

The core technology components of the Prodegre ATLAS™ include:

● Peptide-based degrader modality: This mechanism operates independently of traditional CRBN-dependent strategies. Through a three-part design, it achieves efficient membrane permeability, strong targeting capability, and drives natural protein degradation. This approach not only overcomes the limitations of CRBN but also enables precise degradation of targets that are difficult to drug with traditional small molecules, such as intrinsically disordered proteins like a-synuclein. Candidate molecule PDR-001, developed based on this approach, is the world's first only-in-class peptide-based degrader to enter the clinical stage.

● Small molecule degrader modality: For CNS and inflammatory targets with well-defined mechanisms and a clinical lack of effective oral new drugs, Prodegre is systematically advancing modalities with excellent patient compliance, including molecular glues and oral PROTACs. The platform will flexibly select the optimal development pathway based on the competitive landscape and target attributes, thereby increasing the probability of clinical success and commercial advantage.

● Novel E3 ligand development: Targeting E3 ligases highly expressed in specific tissues, Prodegre is dedicated to expanding the ligandable E3 ligase repertoire. Utilizing diverse biological and chemical methods, the company is developing peptide-based/small molecule E3 ligands. This pipeline of novel E3 ligands will broaden the range of degradable targets for molecular glues and provide a key driving force for the rational design of more specific and broadly applicable degraders.