Linkage Therapeutics

Linkage Therapeutics is a San Francisco-based biotechnology company dedicated to decoding and targeting the ubiquitin system to treat complex diseases. The company was co-founded by Dr. Kevan Shokat, a pioneer in chemical biology, alongside Dr. Ziyang Zhang and Dr. David Agard, with backing from The Column Group. Linkage Therapeutics focuses on "linkage-specific" interventions, targeting the specific ways ubiquitin molecules are chained together, such as branched K11/K48 or K63 linkages. This approach allows for the selective modulation of protein degradation and signaling pathways that are often dysregulated in cancer and neurodegeneration. By developing a platform of small molecules and antibodies tailored to these specific ubiquitin architectures, the company aims to overcome the limitations of broad-spectrum ubiquitin-proteasome system inhibitors.