Pear Bio CDK12 inhibitor

Pear Bio is developing an investigational small molecule inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 12 (CDK12) for the treatment of various solid tumors, including breast, ovarian, prostate, and kidney cancers. CDK12 is a transcription-associated kinase that regulates the expression of DNA damage response genes and plays a critical role in the cell cycle, specifically the G1 to S phase transition. By inhibiting CDK12, the drug aims to suppress hyper-transcription in cancer cells, thereby reducing cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis. Pear Bio's lead molecules are designed to offer improved safety profiles over earlier CDK12 inhibitors by minimizing hERG toxicity and liver clearance while maintaining high potency at high ATP concentrations. The program has demonstrated efficacy in ex vivo patient microtumors, particularly in HER2-low breast cancer models, and is currently in the IND-enabling phase of development.