Molecular Partners AG

Molecular Partners is a privately held biotech company focusing on the commercialization of a novel class of biological drugs known as DARPins. Molecular Partners holds the exclusive patent rights for full freedom to operate with DARPins for all applications.

Molecular Partners has engineered and developed a novel class of therapeutic proteins known as DARPins, with the potential to replace antibodies in many different applications. DARPins are derived from ankyrin repeat proteins, an abundant and versatile class of naturally occurring binding proteins. DARPins can be easily produced in bacterial expression systems at very high yields and belong to the most stable proteins known. Highly specific, high-affinity DARPins to a broad range of target proteins, including receptors, cytokines, kinases, proteases, viruses and integral membrane proteins have been selected. DARPins show high efficacy in preclinical models, including tumor targeting, viral and bacterial growth inhibition and in anti-inflammatory applications.

Molecular Partners was incorporated in 2004 as a spin-off company of the University of Zürich. The technology was developed in the laboratories of Prof. Andreas Plückthun, a renowned antibody specialist. In August 2007, Molecular Partners closed a Series A equity investment round raising 18.5 Mio CHF (€11.28 million, $15.56 million). The round was led by Index Ventures and was further supported by an international syndicate of investors, representing the US and Europe, including BB Biotech Ventures, Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation and Endeavour. In 2005, the DRP technology was awarded the “Swiss Technology Award 2005”, the most prestigious technology award of Switzerland.

Molecular Partners has active collaborations with Bayer-Schering (Germany) in oncology and with Hoffmann-La Roche (Switzerland).