Peter Sullivan is a founder and the CEO of MyxoTech, a company with a library of small molecules derived from myxobacteria, which they offer to the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Sullivan used an image from the James Webb Space Telescope to illustrate the vast potential of chemical space for pharmaceutical exploration. He highlighted that MyxoTech's small molecule library represented a significant portion of this space, with several scaffolds already in or nearing clinical trials, including the breast cancer drug ixabepilone.
Sullivan explained that MyxoTech sourced its small molecules from myxobacteria, organisms known for their unique chemistry and predatory behaviour. He emphasised the chemical diversity of myxobacterial scaffolds, noting that 80% of these scaffolds are unique to myxobacteria. MyxoTech's strain library was designed to maximise taxonomic diversity, which in turn ensured chemical diversity. Sullivan pointed out that over 50% of MyxoTech's species, genera, and taxonomic families were cultured exclusively by MyxoTech and its parent organisation.
He discussed the evolving dynamics of the pharmaceutical industry, noting that natural products had been a valuable source for drug development over the past 40 years. Sullivan believes that nature would continue to provide valuable resources for future drug development. He argued that as the industry transitioned to exploring novel targets, MyxoTech's chemical space was well-positioned to offer first-in-class molecules.
Sullivan outlined two potential business models for collaboration with MyxoTech. The first model involved MyxoTech acting as a contract research organisation (CRO), selling their library and offering services for a fee, with clients retaining sole ownership of intellectual property. The second model was more collaborative, with no fees but negotiations over intellectual property or royalties. He detailed the three work packages MyxoTech offered: access to their small molecule library, elucidation of active components, and lead optimisation.
