5 Questions With Dinesh Patel, PhD, CEO Protagonist Therapeutics

1. PROTAGONIST HAS A CLEAR GOAL OF SERVING PATIENTS MOST IN NEED. TELL US ABOUT HOW YOU ARE ACHIEVING YOUR MISSION.

At Protagonist we strive to improve patient lives by targeting areas of unmet need in both rare diseases and prevalent diseases where current treatments are limited or inadequate.

We currently have seven new projects in the discovery and preclinical pipeline. We also have three assets in various clinical studies; one to help combat blood disorders, and the other two in inflammatory and immunomodulatory diseases (with one of them in partnership with Janssen).

Rusfertide (PTG-300) is a novel injectable synthetic mimetic of the natural hormone hepcidin with superior properties in comparison to the natural hormone. Based on the excellent efficacy data obtained in a phase 2 study, we are moving rusfertide in a phase 3 study to treat polycythemia vera, a form of blood cancer that causes bone marrow to make too many red blood cells.

PN-235 is an oral peptide and is often referred to as the ‘oral Stelara’ or a ‘Tremfya in a pill’ since it blocks the same biological pathway that is targeted by these injectable antibody drugs. PN-235 is partnered with Janssen and is currently in multiple studies for treatment of psoriasis.

PN-943 is a first-in-class oral, alpha-4- beta-7 (α4β7) integrin-specific antagonist peptide. After completing a phase 2 study, we are currently seeking regulatory guidance for the next study with this drug candidate as a potential possible treatment for ulcerative colitis (UC).

2. THE DEVELOPMENT OF PEPTIDE DRUGS HAS BECOME ONE OF THE HOTTEST AREAS IN PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH. HOW IS YOUR APPROACH UNIQUE?

For us, it has been a 14-plus year journey leading to a proprietary technology platform, a highly specialized team of technical experts, and numerous ‘secret sauce’ recipes in the field of peptide therapeutics. This enables us to discover peptides in a de novo fashion against a wide variety of targets and diseases, and engineer the desired degree of potency, specificity and selectivity, solubility, metabolic stability, and manufacturability with specific peptidomimetic and chemical modifications.

The ultimate proof of success comes in the form of three peptide-based drug candidates I mentioned — rusfertide, PN-235 partnered with Janssen, and PN-943 — that were all discovered internally and are currently in advanced stages of clinical development. With oral peptides PN-235 and PN-943, we have also broken the barrier towards ‘oral peptides,’ which is often considered the holy grail in the field of peptides.

3. MANY COMPANIES PRIORITIZE DISCOVERY OR DEVELOPMENT. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT?

It is a balancing act between discovery and development, and we need both to succeed at the ultimate goal of getting more effective medicine in the hands of patients who need it the most. While we have a staple of matured clinical development assets, in many ways we remain a discovery company at heart. I am proud to lead our company toward advancing our peptide technology platform for the de novo discovery of first-and best-inclass drugs.

Our combination of diverse scientific and operational talent has enabled our success. Our discovery is strong, and the ability to implement and achieve a successful outcome with an asset that germinates from discovery and progresses into clinical development — and hopefully ultimately gets approved in the future — comes from the strength of our team members.

I strive to inspire my team by demonstrating that achieving transformational innovation means committing to a challenging and long journey. I believe that creating a culture of passion, conviction and transparency that honors and leverages the unique and special talents of an individual or team is what leads to ultimate success.

4. YOU’VE EXPERIENCED MARKET DOWNTURNS IN THE BIOTECH INDUSTRY. WHAT IS YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS?

Having been in the business of biopharma and biotech for more than thirty years, I know that market highs and downturns like the one we are in currently are inevitable. As a leader, it is so important to stay focused and confident during the tough times. That is where transformation happens—especially when you’ve built a dynamic, diversified business with multiple revenue streams, partnerships, and assets.

Innovating new medicines that address unmet patient needs is tremendously rewarding, and more often than not, hugely challenging. A secret to our longevity has been humbleness, always staying grounded, and the unbridled optimism that the best is always yet to come.

5. WHAT IS YOUR VISION FOR PROTAGONIST, AND HOW ARE YOU NAVIGATING THE COMPANY TOWARDS A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE?

My singular focus is on innovating and developing new drugs, and finding the most expedited and effective ways of getting them to the patients who need them the most. We have multiple shots on goal with three assets in advanced clinical development. With rusfertide, we are on the threshold of achieving a radically improved therapy for a blood cancer like polycythemia vera. We have an astute, strategic team of innovators and builders who will continue to focus on creating differentiated, unique, and transformational healthcare solutions that were once considered impossible.