Salarius Pharmaceuticals Merger Partner, Decoy Therapeutics, Announces its Novel Inhibitors Show Promising In Silico Activity Against Measles and Related Viruses
Decoy Therapeutics, set to merge with Salarius Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SLRX), announced that its antiviral drug candidates have shown promising in silico activity against measles and Nipah viruses. These candidates were previously demonstrated to be effective against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human parainfluenza virus 3 (hPIV3).
The company's IMP3ACT™ platform uses AI and machine learning to design peptide-conjugate antivirals that target multiple viruses simultaneously. The platform's drug candidates act directly on viruses rather than human cells, potentially reducing disease severity and duration. Using computational tools, Decoy identified measles antiviral binding in just five days.
Following the January 13, 2025 merger agreement, the combined entity will be named Decoy Therapeutics, focusing on developing a pipeline of self-administered direct-acting antivirals and advancing both infectious disease and oncology programs.
Decoy Therapeutics, che si fonderà con Salarius Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SLRX), ha annunciato che i suoi candidati farmaci antivirali hanno mostrato promettente attività in silico contro i virus del morbillo e di Nipah. Questi candidati erano stati precedentemente dimostrati efficaci contro il virus respiratorio sinciziale (RSV) e il virus parainfluenzale umano 3 (hPIV3).
La piattaforma IMP3ACT™ dell'azienda utilizza l'IA e l'apprendimento automatico per progettare antivirali coniugati a peptidi che mirano a più virus contemporaneamente. I candidati farmaci della piattaforma agiscono direttamente sui virus piuttosto che sulle cellule umane, riducendo potenzialmente la gravità e la durata della malattia. Utilizzando strumenti computazionali, Decoy ha identificato il legame antivirale contro il morbillo in soli cinque giorni.
In seguito all'accordo di fusione del 13 gennaio 2025, l'entità combinata sarà chiamata Decoy Therapeutics, concentrandosi sullo sviluppo di una pipeline di antivirali a somministrazione autonoma ad azione diretta e sull'avanzamento dei programmi in materia di malattie infettive e oncologia.
Decoy Therapeutics, que se fusionará con Salarius Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SLRX), anunció que sus candidatos a medicamentos antivirales han mostrado actividad in silico prometedora contra los virus del sarampión y Nipah. Estos candidatos previamente demostraron ser efectivos contra el virus respiratorio sincitial (RSV) y el virus parainfluenza humano 3 (hPIV3).
La plataforma IMP3ACT™ de la empresa utiliza IA y aprendizaje automático para diseñar antivirales conjugados a péptidos que atacan múltiples virus simultáneamente. Los candidatos a medicamentos de la plataforma actúan directamente sobre los virus en lugar de las células humanas, lo que potencialmente reduce la gravedad y la duración de la enfermedad. Utilizando herramientas computacionales, Decoy identificó la unión antiviral contra el sarampión en solo cinco días.
Tras el acuerdo de fusión del 13 de enero de 2025, la entidad combinada se llamará Decoy Therapeutics, centrándose en desarrollar una cartera de antivirales de acción directa autoadministrados y avanzar en programas tanto de enfermedades infecciosas como de oncología.
Decoy Therapeutics는 Salarius Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SLRX)와 합병할 예정이며, 자사의 항바이러스 약물 후보들이 홍역 및 니파 바이러스에 대한 유망한 인 실리코(active) 활성을 보여주었다고 발표했습니다. 이 후보들은 이전에 호흡기 세포융합 바이러스(RSV) 및 인간 파라인플루엔자 바이러스 3(hPIV3)에 대해 효과적임이 입증되었습니다.
회사의 IMP3ACT™ 플랫폼은 AI와 기계 학습을 사용하여 여러 바이러스를 동시에 표적하는 펩타이드 결합 항바이러스를 설계합니다. 플랫폼의 약물 후보들은 인간 세포가 아닌 바이러스에 직접 작용하여 질병의 심각성과 지속 시간을 줄일 수 있습니다. 컴퓨터 도구를 사용하여 Decoy는 단 5일 만에 홍역 항바이러스 결합을 확인했습니다.
2025년 1월 13일 합병 계약에 따라, 결합된 법인은 Decoy Therapeutics라는 이름으로 불리며, 자가 투여 가능한 직접 작용 항바이러스제의 파이프라인 개발과 감염병 및 종양학 프로그램의 진전을 목표로 합니다.
Decoy Therapeutics, qui doit fusionner avec Salarius Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SLRX), a annoncé que ses candidats médicaments antiviraux ont montré une activité in silico prometteuse contre les virus de la rougeole et de Nipah. Ces candidats ont précédemment démontré leur efficacité contre le virus respiratoire syncytial (RSV) et le virus parainfluenza humain 3 (hPIV3).
La plateforme IMP3ACT™ de l'entreprise utilise l'IA et l'apprentissage automatique pour concevoir des antiviraux conjugués à des peptides qui ciblent plusieurs virus simultanément. Les candidats médicaments de la plateforme agissent directement sur les virus plutôt que sur les cellules humaines, ce qui pourrait réduire la gravité et la durée de la maladie. En utilisant des outils informatiques, Decoy a identifié le lien antiviral contre la rougeole en seulement cinq jours.
Suite à l'accord de fusion du 13 janvier 2025, l'entité combinée sera nommée Decoy Therapeutics, se concentrant sur le développement d'un pipeline d'antiviraux à action directe auto-administrés et sur l'avancement des programmes en matière de maladies infectieuses et d'oncologie.
Decoy Therapeutics, das mit Salarius Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SLRX) fusionieren wird, gab bekannt, dass seine antiviralen Arzneimittelkandidaten vielversprechende in silico-Aktivität gegen Masern- und Nipah-Viren gezeigt haben. Diese Kandidaten wurden zuvor als wirksam gegen das respiratorische Synzytialvirus (RSV) und das humane Parainfluenzavirus 3 (hPIV3) nachgewiesen.
Die IMP3ACT™-Plattform des Unternehmens nutzt KI und maschinelles Lernen, um peptidkonjugierte Antiviren zu entwerfen, die mehrere Viren gleichzeitig angreifen. Die Arzneimittelkandidaten der Plattform wirken direkt auf die Viren und nicht auf menschliche Zellen, was potenziell die Schwere und Dauer der Erkrankung verringern könnte. Mithilfe computergestützter Werkzeuge identifizierte Decoy innerhalb von nur fünf Tagen die antivirale Bindung gegen Masern.
Nach dem Fusionsvertrag vom 13. Januar 2025 wird die kombinierte Einheit den Namen Decoy Therapeutics tragen und sich auf die Entwicklung einer Pipeline von selbstverabreichenden direkt wirkenden Antiviren und den Fortschritt sowohl in der Infektionskrankheiten- als auch in der Onkologie-Programme konzentrieren.
- Platform demonstrates rapid drug development capability - measles antiviral binding identified in 5 days
- Single drug candidate shows potential effectiveness against multiple viruses (RSV, hPIV3, measles, Nipah)
- Technology enables cost-effective antiviral development by addressing multiple diseases with one drug
- Drug candidates are still in early preclinical stage with only in silico/in vitro data
- No clinical validation of the platform technology yet
- Merger completion still subject to closing conditions
Insights
Decoy's announcement marks a meaningful expansion of their antiviral platform's potential applications. Their peptide-conjugate candidates, previously shown active against RSV and parainfluenza, now demonstrate promising in silico activity against measles and Nipah viruses - suggesting broader utility than initially indicated.
This development substantiates Decoy's platform strategy of targeting conserved viral mechanisms to create potential 'pan-viral' therapeutics. While still preclinical, their IMP3ACT platform's ability to rapidly identify candidates (reportedly just five days for measles binding) demonstrates computational efficiency that could accelerate early development timelines.
For Salarius investors awaiting the merger's completion, this represents the first significant scientific update since the January announcement and provides clearer visibility into what they're acquiring. The platform's potential to develop single drugs addressing multiple viral threats simultaneously could transform traditional antiviral economics, where separate development programs typically target individual viruses.
However, it's critical to recognize these are computer-modeled predictions only. The path from in silico activity to clinical validation remains lengthy and high-risk. Many candidates showing computational promise fail in subsequent testing phases, and no in vitro data against these specific viruses has been presented yet. The timeline to potential commercialization remains distant, requiring substantial validation through preclinical and clinical development.
This announcement strategically positions the pending Salarius-Decoy merger as a platform acquisition rather than a single-asset play. Decoy's computational approach to drug design shows versatility by extending from respiratory viruses (RSV/parainfluenza) to neurological threats (measles/Nipah), substantially broadening potential market applications.
The IMP3ACT platform incorporates several high-value biotech trends: AI/ML integration, peptide-based therapeutics, and targeted approaches that minimize off-target effects. Particularly noteworthy is their focus on direct-acting antivirals that target the virus rather than host cells, potentially offering better safety profiles.
From a business strategy perspective, Decoy's approach to developing broad-spectrum antivirals addresses a persistent industry challenge. Traditional antiviral economics often suffer from narrow spectrum activity and usage periods, restricting revenue potential. A single therapeutic active against multiple pathogens could transform this commercial equation and potentially command premium pricing.
However, the early preclinical stage can't be overstated. In silico models, while increasingly sophisticated, have predictive accuracy for real-world efficacy. The true test will come with in vitro and animal studies validating these computational predictions. Salarius shareholders should view this as reinforcing the platform's potential versatility but recognize substantial technical risk remains. The merger combines Decoy's innovative platform with Salarius's public market access and infrastructure - potentially accelerating development if executed properly.
These candidates, previously shown to be active in vitro against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human parainfluenza virus 3 (hPIV3), show the potential for Decoy’s novel platform to address both significant commercial opportunities and emerging viral threats with a single molecule
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and HOUSTON, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Decoy Therapeutics Inc. (Decoy), a privately held preclinical biopharmaceutical company engineering the next generation of peptide-conjugate therapeutics, announced that a series of antiviral drug candidates previously designed by its IMP3ACT™ platform to be broadly effective against viruses of the paramyxoviridae family also showed promising in silico activity against measles and Nipah viruses. As announced on January 13, 2025, Decoy and Salarius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SLRX) signed a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which Decoy will merge with a wholly owned subsidiary of Salarius, subject to satisfaction of the closing conditions set forth in the definitive agreement. Upon consummation of the merger, the newly formed company will be named Decoy Therapeutics.
Decoy’s IMP3ACT platform strategy for antiviral therapeutics focuses on a mechanism that is broadly conserved across viruses, making it possible to use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to design peptide-conjugate antiviral drug candidates with unprecedented activity against multiple viruses. Unlike preventive vaccines, these candidates act directly on the virus, and not on human cells or the immune system, to potentially stop or slow the virus from replicating, thereby reducing the severity or shortening the duration of the disease in infected persons. As demonstrated by these candidates, Decoy believes the IMP3ACT platform has the potential to change the economics of antiviral drug development by addressing multiple high health burden viruses such as RSV and hPIV and preparing the world for emerging future threats, like measles, with a single drug.
“Our proprietary peptide-conjugate technology platform for antivirals and cancer drug discovery, IMP3ACT, is adaptable in antivirals to develop potential treatments for existing viral diseases and new viral threats. I am proud of the Decoy team and their rapid in silico design of a drug candidate that is broadly active against multiple viruses, including RSV, hPIV, measles, Nipah and likely others. With this compound, we are developing a highly topical engineering application using Decoy’s platform technology and we are just getting started,” stated Decoy’s Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Rick Pierce.
“By integrating machine learning algorithms and molecular dynamics modeling in peptide design and synthesis, Decoy’s platform accelerates the creation of lead molecules for preclinical evaluation,” he added. “These novel peptide-conjugates are simultaneously optimized in silico for enhanced affinity, binding specificity, resistance to proteases and pharmacokinetic properties, and for rapid manufacturability at early commercial scale. Indeed, using these computational tools we were able to identify measles antiviral binding in only five days.”
“Decoy’s goal is to create a pipeline of self-administered direct-acting antivirals that prevent infection, decrease viral shedding, minimize transmission and treat patients with existing infections, all with the same drug. Given the high structural and functional conservation of the enveloped viral entry machinery, we believe that a single peptide-conjugate antiviral can be designed to have activity across multiple related viruses,” added Barb Hibner, Ph.D., Decoy’s Chief Scientific Officer. “As COVID has shown us, we need multiple approaches for infectious disease, including therapies and vaccines. We are taking advantage of the unprecedented advancements in computing technologies and applying them to a very defined biological problem: broadly inhibiting viral infections by directly targeting the virus.”
Upon consummation of the merger, the combined company is expected to integrate Decoy’s expertise and resources with Salarius’ to advance a diversified infectious disease and oncology pipeline. The newly formed company is expected to focus on discovering and developing high-impact antiviral and cancer drugs engineered leveraging Decoy’s proprietary IMP3ACT platform.
About Measles and the Current Outbreaks
Measles is a member of the paramyxovirus family, along with RSV, mumps, metapneumovirus and parainfluenzavirus. Once exposed, measles first infects a person’s respiratory tract, causing flu-like symptoms, including runny nose, cough and fever, followed by a rash that appears several days later. It is believed to be the most contagious airborne virus known to date, spreads easily from an infected person via coughing or sneezing, and can remain in the air for up to two hours. Measles can lead to severe pneumonia with approximately
While vaccines are
About Decoy’s Peptide Conjugate Technology
Decoy’s drug design engine uses the power of computational tools and fast peptide synthesis technology pioneered in the laboratory of Brad Pentelute, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry at MIT and Decoy co-founder, to rapidly engineer and synthesize novel antivirals that directly target highly conserved viral machinery. Its proprietary IMP3ACT peptide-conjugate drug design and manufacturing platform leverages ML and AI tools. IMP3ACT allows for the rapid computational design and manufacturing of innovative peptide-conjugate therapeutics, including rapid response to novel viral pathogens, such as avian H5N1 flu. Peptide conjugates are a new type of drug, perhaps best known for the popular diabetes and weight loss medications. This drug class takes advantage of the strong activity and selectivity of peptides, and improves their targeting and durability by adding a lipid molecule. Decoy is expanding the use of this new drug class to indications, including infectious diseases and cancer.
The IMP3ACT platform leverages peptide chemistry to design a-helical peptides using computational and ML tools. These peptides are transformed into multimeric conjugates by chemically linking a defined number of copies to lipids or other suitable membrane anchor moieties, enhancing their drug-like properties and dosing flexibility with extended pharmacokinetics. Decoy’s technology has produced peptide-conjugates effective in vitro against multiple human coronaviruses, including all SARS-CoV-2 major variants of concern to date, and against RSV A, RSV B and hPIV3, and in vivo against the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant. By integrating ML algorithms in peptide design and synthesis, Decoy’s platform accelerates the creation of lead molecules for preclinical evaluations, simultaneously optimizing peptide-conjugates for enhanced affinity, binding specificity, resistance to proteases, pharmacokinetic properties and manufacturability at early commercial scale.
About Decoy Therapeutics Inc.
Decoy is a preclinical-stage biotechnology company that is leveraging ML and AI tools alongside high-speed synthesis techniques to rapidly design, engineer and manufacture peptide-conjugate drug candidates that target serious unmet medical needs. The company’s initial pipeline is focused on respiratory viruses and gastrointestinal cancers. Decoy has attracted financing from institutional investors as well as significant non-dilutive capital from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Seed Fund, the Google AI startup program and the NVIDIA Inception program among other sources. The company has also received QuickFire Challenge award funding provided by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) through BLUE KNIGHT™, a collaboration between Johnson & Johnson Innovation (JLABS) and BARDA within the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response. For more information, please visit www.DecoyTx.com.
About Salarius Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Salarius is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with two drug candidates for patients with cancer in need of new treatment options. Salarius’ product portfolio includes seclidemstat, the company’s lead candidate, which is being studied in an investigator-initiated Phase 1/2 clinical study in hematologic cancers underway at MD Anderson Cancer Center as a potential treatment for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) in patients with limited treatment options. SP-3164, the company’s IND-stage second asset, is an oral small molecule protein degrader. Salarius previously received financial support for seclidemstat for the treatment of Ewing sarcoma from the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation and was a recipient of a Product Development Award from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. For more information, please visit www.salariuspharma.com.
About the Proposed Transaction
Definitive agreements were executed with unanimous approvals by the Boards of Directors of Salarius and Decoy. The closing consideration will consist primarily of nonvoting preferred stock of Salarius, and it is expected that following closing and a post-closing stockholder vote to approve the conversion of the preferred shares into common stock, Decoy investors would own approximately
Non-Solicitation
This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No public offer of securities in connection with the merger shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding Salarius, Decoy, the proposed merger and other matters, including without limitation, statements relating to the expected ownership percentages of the combined company and plans and expectations relating to the business, products, including expected achievement of milestones for its lead asset and future prospects of Decoy and the combined company. These statements may discuss goals, intentions and expectations as to future plans, trends, events, results of operations or financial condition, or otherwise, based on current beliefs of the management of Salarius, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. Forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “likely,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “intend,” and other similar expressions. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors, including, without limitation: the risk that the conditions to the closing are not satisfied, including uncertainties as to the timing of the consummation of the proposed merger; the ability of each of Salarius and Decoy to consummate the merger; risks related to Salarius’ ability to estimate and manage its operating expenses and its expenses associated with the proposed merger pending the closing; risks that the combined company will not achieve the synergies expected from the proposed merger; risks that Salarius and the combined company will not obtain sufficient financing to execute on their business plans and risks related to Decoy’s products and development plans, including unanticipated issues with any IND application process and the potential of the IMP3ACT™ platform. Readers are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made by Salarius in its reports filed with the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, as revised or supplemented by its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents filed with the SEC. If one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, Salarius’ actual results may vary materially from those expected or projected.
CONTACTS:
Decoy Therapeutics, Inc.
Rick Pierce, CEO
Pierce@decoytx.com
617-447-8299
Business Development:
Peter Marschel, CBO
Peter@Decoytx.com
617-943-6305
Salarius Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Alliance Advisors IR
Jody Cain
jcain@allianceadvisors.com
310-691-7100
FAQ
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