Collaboration between ICR and NEOsphere set to transform cancer research with next-generation molecular glue technologies

Image: Researchers from our Centre for Protein Degradation

(IN BRIEF) The Institute of Cancer Research and NEOsphere Biotechnologies have announced a new collaboration to accelerate the discovery of molecular glue degrader drugs, an innovative approach in targeted cancer therapy. The partnership will integrate ICR’s proprietary molecular glue library with NEOsphere’s high-throughput proteomics platform, generating large-scale datasets to enable systematic design and optimisation of MGDs. Molecular glue degraders induce the degradation of disease-causing proteins by binding them to E3 ligases, opening opportunities to target proteins that were previously considered undruggable. Building on earlier joint research published in Nature Communications, the collaboration has already produced dozens of novel MGDs and is using AI and machine learning to guide rational design. Leaders from ICR and NEOsphere emphasized that the partnership will accelerate cancer drug discovery and exemplifies how academic–industry collaborations can drive forward early-stage innovation with significant potential for patient benefit.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 3-Oct-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London has entered into a new collaboration with biotechnology company NEOsphere Biotechnologies to accelerate the discovery of molecular glue degrader (MGD) drugs, a groundbreaking approach in targeted cancer treatment.

The partnership will combine the proprietary molecular glue library developed by ICR’s Centre for Protein Degradation with NEOsphere’s high-throughput proteomics platform. By integrating these complementary technologies, the collaboration aims to generate unprecedented data that will both provide starting points for novel drug discovery and address one of the central challenges in the field: how to design and optimise molecular glue degraders more systematically, rather than relying on chance discoveries.

Professor Zoran Rankovic, Director of the Centre for Protein Degradation at the ICR, likened the collaboration to a gold prospector who moves from manually panning for nuggets to using goggles that reveal them clearly. “Our new collaboration is using high-throughput proteomics to rapidly assess proteome-wide effects of compound modifications, enabling faster iteration and more efficient refinement of promising molecular glue degrader drug candidates,” he explained.

Molecular glue degraders are a new class of small molecules that harness the body’s own protein recycling system. Unlike traditional inhibitors that block the function of a target protein, MGDs induce the degradation of disease-causing proteins by binding them to E3 ligases, enzymes that naturally mark proteins for disposal. This mechanism allows researchers to target proteins previously considered “undruggable,” creating new therapeutic possibilities in cancer treatment.

The collaboration builds on earlier research between NEOsphere Biotechnologies and Professor Rankovic’s former group at St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, which demonstrated the value of proteomics in MGD discovery and was recently published in Nature Communications.

NEOsphere’s cutting-edge proteomics technology can test thousands of small molecules and map their effects across the cellular proteome, enabling rapid identification and characterisation of MGDs. This capability, combined with ICR’s computationally designed MGD library of more than 5,000 small molecules, has already generated dozens of potent and selective MGDs, as well as a rich dataset being applied to artificial intelligence and machine learning models to advance rational drug design.

Professor Henrik Daub, Chief Scientific Officer at NEOsphere Biotechnologies, welcomed the partnership, saying: “This collaboration demonstrates our commitment to turning proteomics science into therapeutic impact. By joining forces with the ICR, we are systematically advancing molecular glue degrader discovery with the potential to bring real benefits to patients.”

Dr Jonathan Beech, Business Development Manager at the ICR, added: “We are excited to partner with NEOsphere Biotechnologies to accelerate the discovery of molecular glue degraders against novel cancer targets. This is a great example of how academic–industry collaborations can bring forward innovative approaches in early-stage drug discovery.”

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SOURCE: The Institute of Cancer Research