Glyconova

The company

  • Established in 2009 by Dr. Ghiselli, a former Professor of Pathology and Cellular Biology at the Thomas Jefferson University of Philadelphia (U.S.A.); it operates in the fields of glycobiology and anti-cancer drug discovery.
  • Glyconova is focusing on the discovery and development of small molecules inhibiting the function of the D-Glucuronyl C-5 Epimerase (GLCE), a key enzyme in heparan sulfate (HS) biosynthesis. Inhibitors of HS synthesis may exert anti-cancer and anti-viral activity, with potential applications in colon carcinomas and/or lung metastasis.
  • One patent filed in 2010.

Current Status

  • GLCE has been validated as a target for the development of anti-tumor agents.
  • Initiated a medicinal chemistry program where 1,500 molecules have been screened and 30 hits, belonging to different chemical families, identified to date.