Our Story

In 2019 Prof Andrew Tobin published validation of PfCLK3 as a target with breakthrough potential in the treatment of malaria. Successful drug development would provide a single medicine that is curative, transmission blocking and prophylactic. 

Together the KELTICPharma team combine academic innovation, deep target knowledge and corporate drug discovery expertise.

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Our Vision

Cure Malaria

  • Deliver first-in-class anti-malarial clinical candidate.
  • Curative, transmission-blocking prophylactic.

Develop PEP-SMOL

  • Finalise development of PEP-SMOL discovery platform.
  • Validate the platform against “hard to target” receptors.

Deploy PEP-SMOL

  • Use PEP-SMOL to target high value receptors.
  • Progress PEP-SMOL hits to clinical candidates.

Our Expertise

Generating next generation anti-malarials.

KELTICPharma Therapeutics founders have extensive experience in the malaria field particularly in the biochemical processes that are essential for parasite survival.

By identification of essential pathways the founders have established that a particular protein kinase called PfCLK3, when inhibited can not only kill the blood stage of the malaria parasite but also kill liver stage and prevent development through the sexual stages. In this way inhibitors to PfCLK3 can offer a cure, prophylaxis and a block of transmission.

The molecular parasitology and chemistry expertise with KELTICPharma Therapeutics and our collaborators are now pursing inhibition of PfCLK3 in a drug discovery program aimed at generating next generation anti-malarials.

Generating Receptor-Based Medicines

The Founders of KELTICPharma Therapeutics have decades of research experience in a class of cell surface receptor called G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). This class of receptor are the worlds most successful drug targets. However despite this success the full potential of GPCRs as drug target has yet to be fully released.

A subclass of GPCRs have been classified as ‘hard to target’ due to the ligand binding pocket being shallow and poorly defined.

KELTICPharma Therapeutics founders have invented a novel drug discovery platform called PEP-SMOL that is specifically designed to generate small drug-like molecule hits against shallow binding pockets.

By deploying PEP-SMOL KELTICPharma Therapeutics will pursue drug discovery programs against high value GPCR targets that previously have been considered either ‘hard to target’ or even ‘undruggable’.

Board of Directors

Prof. Andrew Tobin

Founder

  • Professor of Molecular Pharmacology and at the University of Glasgow
  • Director of the Advance Research Centre University of Glasgow
  • Leader in malaria biology and target validation.
  • Discoverer of PfCLK3 as a target in malaria – lead author of Science (2019) article validating PfCLK3
  • Developer of unique genetic approaches to defining the therapeutic potential of protein kinases in malaria.
  • International reputation in the GPCR field – inventor of unique genetic approaches to GPCR target validation
  • Field leader in defining role of muscarinic receptors in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disease
  • Currently holder of ~ EURO10M in research grants in the GPCR and malaria

Prof. Andrew Jamieson

Founder

  • Reader in Chemical Biology at the University of Glasgow.
  • Sixteen years experience of peptide chemical biology and medicinal chemistry.
  • Inventor of the PEP-SMOL discovery platform.
  • Holder of grants from the EPSRC, BBSRC, MRC and DSTL.
  • Obtained a 1st Class degree in Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry (placement with James Black Foundation) and Ph.D from the University
    of Glasgow.

Prof. Graeme Milligan

Founder

  • Holder of the Gardiner Chair in Biochemistry at the University of Glasgow
  • Field leading expert of the molecular pharmacology of GPCRs with >550 publications in the field (h-index >91, >32,000 citations).
  • Currently holder of ~EURO10M in research grants in the GPCR field
  • Recipient of the Ariens Award for Pharmacology and the Vane Medal for Pharmacology
  • Thompson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher.
  • Extensive experience working with industry (e.g. AZ, GSK, Servier)
  • Licensed platform technologies developed in his group to Arena Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ ARNA), Cara Therapeutics (NASDAQ CARA).
  • Co-founder and Director of the privately held Caldan Therapeutics

Mr Angus Ross

GU Holdings Ltd.

  • GU Holdings Ltd (GUHL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Glasgow.
  • GUHL manages the University’s portfolio of equity held in spin-out ventures.
  • Angus is the Deputy Director of Finance at The University of Glasgow and is the GU Holdings Director to the KELTICPharma Therapeutics board
  • Angus enhances the Boards financial expertise which has been gained through CFO, Head of Finance, Head of Shared Services and Group Financial Controller roles with the likes of DCC Energy, Hilton Hotels Group, Diageo, RBS and Royal Dutch Shell.
  • Angus is a Chartered Accountant and has a Bachelor of Accountancy degree from Glasgow University

Contact

By Email

General Enquiries
info@kelticpharmatherapeutics.com

Recruitment
recruitment@kelticpharmatherapeutics.com

By Post

KELTIC Pharma Therapeutics Ltd
27 Upper Pembroke Street
Dublin 2
Ireland