Outrun Therapeutics

About Outrun Therapeutics

Outrun Therapeutics is a preclinical biotechnology company developing small molecule drugs that inhibit E3 ligases to stabilize proteins for treating diseases. The company's core focus is on preventing the degradation of critical proteins, such as tumor suppressors, which are often destabilized in conditions like cancer and neurological disorders. By blocking E3 ligase activity, the company's approach enables protein stabilization "at the source," which restores the body's natural disease suppression mechanisms.

The company launched in April 2024, exiting stealth mode with a $10 million seed financing round co-led by M Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Merck, and MP Healthcare Venture Management. Outrun Therapeutics was spun out of the University of Dundee, based on the research of its scientific founder, Professor Satpal Virdee, an expert in E3 ligase biology at the MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit. The founding team also includes Mathew and Kuan-Chuan (Eric), who were instrumental in developing the core technology. The company is led by CEO Dr. Carolyn Porter.

Outrun's proprietary discovery platform, X-E3L (Crosslinking E3 Labeller), utilizes engineered protein sensors to significantly reduce the time required to discover specific and selective E3 ligase inhibitors. This technology enables the rapid and scalable assessment of E3 ligase targets, which have historically been challenging to drug. The business model is centered on advancing its pipeline of first-in-class E3 ligase inhibitors. Its lead program is a small molecule inhibitor designed to target an E3 ligase responsible for destabilizing a tumor suppressor protein in hard-to-treat solid tumors, with plans to advance it toward clinical development.