Clear Creek Bio to Work with Pfizer on COVID Pill

Cambridge startup Clear Creek Bio has announced that it will collaborate with Pfizer to develop inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PLpro) for the oral treatment of COVID-19. PLpro is an essential enzyme, which, along with the main protease (Mpro), plays an important role in viral replication. This program will expand Pfizer’s innovative anti-infective pipeline and, if successful, will complement Pfizer’s existing portfolio of COVID-19 products with direct-acting antiviral agents against different SARS-CoV-2 targets.

“As COVID-19 continues to evolve, there is a significant need for oral antivirals with novel mechanisms of action,” said Vikram Sheel Kumar, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Clear Creek Bio. “We explored the druggable SARS-CoV-2 genome and identified PLpro as a promising and untapped target. Leveraging our team’s expertise and success in bringing novel drugs from idea to approval, we internally developed highly potent PLpro inhibitors. We look forward to working with Pfizer, a global leader in antiviral development, to advance a new class of oral antivirals for COVID-19.”

Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies will work together to identify a PLpro candidate to progress into the clinic, at which time Pfizer will be solely responsible for further development and commercialization activities. Clear Creek Bio will receive an undisclosed upfront payment and will be eligible to receive additional potential milestone payments plus royalties on future product sales.

Clear Creek Bio is a private biotech whose activities span in-house small molecule discovery through early clinical development. In addition to the PLpro program, Clear Creek Bio is evaluating brequinar, a potent oral inhibitor of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), in combinations with other therapeutics against a wide range of RNA viruses. (Source: Clear Creek Bio Website, 06 December, 2022)