Chemestmed is an Estonian biotech company developing first-in-class drugs to treat CNS and metabolic diseases and disorders
Traditional drug development focuses on directly targeting disease-causing proteins. In recent years, a new approach has rapidly emerged – one based on regulating cellular processes at the RNA level. The underlying field of research, known as epitranscriptomics, studies chemical modifications to RNA, their purpose and destiny in cells. This approach has the potential to redefine how many diseases are treated, as it can target previously undruggable pathways. These treatments are also expected to be more cost effective and the respective drugs relatively easy to manufacture.
One of the most studied RNA modifications is N6-methyladenosine (m⁶A) – the most abundant internal modification in eukaryotic mRNA. In recent years, m⁶A has emerged as a prospective therapeutic target across a broad spectrum of diseases, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer, neurodegeneration, aging and many more.
Scientific evidence shows that RNA m⁶A deficiency in cells is common in many metabolic and CNS disorders, suggesting that restoring m⁶A levels may offer remarkable therapeutic benefit. Chemestmed has a unique solution to this challenge as developing small-molecule activators that target the METTL3/METTL14 methyltransferase complex and enhance RNA m⁶A methylation — introducing hence a new mechanism of action in the field (Selberg S et al. Cell Reports, 2019; 26:3762, 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.02.100).
This innovation has the promise to revolutionize treatments for many diseases including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, ageing, type 2 diabetes, obesity and many other health conditions.
