Traditional drug development targets directly the disease-causing ill-behaving proteins. During the past several years, another direction has rapidly emerged. It is based on the regulation of the cellular processes at the RNA level and is expected to redefine treatments for many diseases.

The resulting treatments are expected to be more cost effective, relatively simple to manufacture, and can target previously undruggable pathways. The respective research, called epitranscriptomics, studies chemical modifications to RNA, and the proteins & enzymes that write, erase, and read these modifications.

In recent years, interest in RNA methylation has surged, with N-6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most prevalent RNA modification, emerging as a promising target for a wide range of diseases including cancer, neurodegeneration, ageing, and obesity. While previous approaches focused on inhibiting the fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO), which demethylates m6A, Chemestmed has taken a novel route by developing activators that boost m6A levels. These small molecules, targeting the METTL3/METTL14/WTAP complex, restore m6A methylation Our biggest achievement is the discovery of the world's first m6A methylation activators (Selberg S et al. Cell Reports, 2019; 26:3762, 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.02.100).

Chemestmed is pioneering a groundbreaking approach in drug development by discovering small molecules that repair RNA methylation, positioning the company at the forefront of epitranscriptomics research. This innovation has the potential to revolutionize treatments for Parkinson's disease, anxiety, type 2 diabetes, ageing, and other major health conditions.