Genesoft Pharmaceuticals

GeneSoft Pharmaceuticals was a biotechnology company focused on developing a new class of site-specific, DNA-binding small molecules called polyamides. These molecules were engineered to target the minor groove of DNA, allowing for the precise regulation of gene expression or the inhibition of viral and bacterial replication. The company's lead program involved retapamulin, a novel pleuromutilin antibiotic licensed from GlaxoSmithKline for the treatment of skin infections such as impetigo. GeneSoft was acquired by Sangamo BioSciences in 2004 in a deal valued at approximately $15 million. The acquisition was intended to leverage GeneSoft's small molecule expertise alongside Sangamo's zinc finger protein platform for advanced therapeutic development.