Forge and Active Motif collaborate to advance drugability of Jumonji KDMs

US biotech firm Forge Therapeutics and Active Motif, a leader in developing tools to enable epigenetics research, have entered into a research collaboration aimed at advancing epigenetic research related to the family of iron-containing lysine demethylases known as Jumonji KDMs.

The companies aim to validate emerging epigenetic targets for oncology indications and demonstrate the 'drugability' of Jumonji KDMs. The research collaboration will combine Forge's expertise in the field of metalloenzymes and Active Motif's expertise in epigenetics and related technologies.

"Other epigenetic targets such as histone deacetylases and methyl transferases have been validated therapeutically, however the Jumonji KDM family has been lagging behind due to a lack of suitable chemistry and limited biological tools available to early-stage companies," said Zachary Zimmerman, chief executive of Forge Therapeutics, adding: "The Forge drug discovery engine has generated several full length inhibitors that are selective and potent for individual KDMs and subfamilies of KDMs, and we look forward to probing epigenetic biology using Active Motif's suite of technologies."