Rapafusyn joining the Roche Accelerator provides external validation of the promise and excitement around the Rapafusyn platform.
This opportunity should further strengthen Rapafusyn’s industry leadership in non-degrading molecular glues by accessing Roche’s world-class expertise.
Baltimore, MD May 27, 2025 ---Rapafusyn Pharmaceuticals Inc., a leader in non-degrading molecular glues, announced today the joining of the Roche Accelerator, Roche’s innovation hub, which connects pioneering biotechs with Roche’s expertise. Rapafusyn was selected to join the Roche Accelerator, based on Rapafusyn’s innovative RapaGlue™ platform and promising pipeline of potential first-in-class and best-in-class therapeutics.
RapaGlues are non-degrading molecular glues that can address previously undruggable disease targets. RapaGlues self-assemble into a protein sized drug complex inside cells by binding to and forming a complex with FKBP12, an abundant intracellular protein. RapaGlues bring FKBP12 in proximity with a disease target of interest, resulting in the formation of new protein-protein interactions with the target to block its function. This results in several advantages over traditional drug modalities, including readily blocking protein-protein interactions (PPIs), exquisite selectivity, long residence time, and high potency. Rapafusyn’s platform leverages the mechanism found in several marketed natural products and innovatively extends it to a broad range of disease targets including PPIs, transcription factors, and transmembrane proteins.
“We are thrilled to join the Roche Accelerator,” said Dr. Sean Hu, CEO of Rapafusyn. “We are excited to combine the strength of our RapaGlue™ platform, capable of unlocking previously undruggable targets, with the deep expertise of Roche to catalyze further discovery and development of novel medicines with the potential to transform patients’ lives. We look forward to starting drug co-discovery collaborations with the Roche team in areas with high unmet need such as cancer and immunology.”
The Roche Accelerator is Roche’s first in-house accelerator globally, representing Roche’s long-term commitment to Shanghai and China. It strengthens the collaboration with local partners and plays a key part in the local innovation ecosystem, of which Rapafusyn’s Shanghai subsidiary is an integral part.
About Rapafusyn Pharmaceuticals
Rapafusyn Pharmaceuticals is an innovative biotech company pioneering RapaGlues, novel non-degrading molecular glues, to address previously undruggable targets. RapaGlues bind FKBP12, an abundant intracellular protein, bringing FKBP12 in proximity with a target of interest. This results in the formation of new protein-protein interactions which block the target’s function. This technology extends the FKBP12 binding mechanism found in several natural products (e.g. FK506, Rapamycin) to a broad range of high-value targets including PPIs, transcription factors, transmembrane proteins and enzymes.
Rapafusyn has assembled large DNA-encoded libraries (DELs), of rationally designed FKBP12 binding macrocyclic peptides (RapaGlues). Leveraging the DEL libraries, Rapafusyn has assembled a diverse pipeline of potential first-in-class or highly differentiated best-in-class programs directed at high-value immunology, oncology and renal targets.
For more information, please visit https://www.rapafusyn.com/ or contact Heather Lavin at hlavin@rapafusyn.com
