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Flindr Therapeutics and CrystalsFirst expand collaboration to advance oncology drug discovery

Flindr Therapeutics and CrystalsFirst expand collaboration to advance oncology drug discovery

HAMBURG, Germany, & OSS, The Netherlands — June 19, 2025 — Flindr Therapeutics, a precision oncology company developing first-in-class small molecule inhibitors for cancer, and CrystalsFirst, a leader in structure-based drug discovery and target enablement, today announced a strategic partnership to accelerate target enablement and drug discovery across Flindr’s oncology pipeline. The collaboration combines Flindr’s novel cancer targets with CrystalsFirst’s advanced target enablement platform to speed up the creation of new therapies for patients with difficult-to-treat cancers.

CrystalsFirst has delivered valuable structural insights that guided Flindr’s medicinal chemistry efforts, accelerating the progression from hits to an optimized lead compound of RNF31. Following a successful initial engagement, Flindr and CrystalsFirst will explore further applications of CrystalsFirst’s MAGNET platform across selected programs in Flindr’s pipeline. By integrating cutting edge crystallography and AI-driven molecular design, Flindr aims to fast-track additional first-in-class programs toward preclinical development. The alliance underscores both companies’ commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to deliver novel cancer therapeutics to patients faster.

“We are very impressed by the impact CrystalsFirst’s platform has had on our discovery efforts,” said Maarten Ligtenberg, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and founder of Flindr Therapeutics. “Their structural biology and fragment screening technologies provided valuable insights that helped us advance our programs. This collaboration enables us to selectively apply these capabilities across our pipeline as we pursue first-in-class precision oncology therapies that can truly make a difference for patients.”

“Flindr’s innovative approach to precision oncology is an ideal match for our MAGNET platform,” said Dr. Serghei Glinca, founder and Chief Executive Officer of CrystalsFirst. “By combining Flindr’s cutting-edge target discovery with our structure-first design tools, we can rapidly unlock tractable binding sites and novel chemistry for difficult targets. We are excited to support Flindr’s mission of translating pioneering cancer research into promising new therapies.”

About Flindr Therapeutics

Flindr Therapeutics, founded in 2020 by the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) and the Oncode Institute, is advancing a pipeline of first-in-class small molecule inhibitors for the precision treatment of cancer. Central to this effort is the company’s proprietary ImmunoGram Drug Discovery Engine, which enables the identification of novel therapeutic targets in both cancer and immune cells. By translating these precision targets into tailored therapies, Flindr is committed to delivering transformative treatment options for cancer patients and address unmet medical needs.  https://flindrtx.com/

About CrystalsFirst

CrystalsFirst is a leading specialist in structure-based drug discovery and target enablement. Founded in 2018, CrystalsFirst has developed the MAGNET platform, a breakthrough technology platform that integrates advanced crystallographic techniques with artificial intelligence to unlock chemical matter for difficult targets. The platform’s components include SmartSoak®, which accelerates the path and increase the success rate protein-ligand co-structures, and FragAI, a proprietary generative AI system for molecular design and optimization. Using this unique “structure-first” approach, CrystalsFirst has successfully enabled structural data and hit finding for over 40 drug targets​, empowering pharma and biotech partners to design novel modulators for proteins that were previously intractable.  For more information, please visit: https://www.crystalsfirst.com

Media Contacts

CrystalsFirst GmbH

Dr. Serghei Glinca
CEO
serghei.glinca@crystalsfirst.com

Flindr Therapeutics

Maarten Ligtenberg, PhD
CEO
m.ligtenberg@flindrtx.com

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Think Bioscience and CrystalsFirst to Expand Partnership Following Discovery of Novel Mechanisms of Action for Undruggable Targets

Think Bioscience and CrystalsFirst to Expand Partnership Following Discovery of Novel Mechanisms of Action for Undruggable Targets

  • Novel Mechanistic Insights: The collaboration between Think Bioscience and CrystalsFirst has uncovered previously unknown mechanisms of action to open new avenues for multiple previously “undruggable” targets.
  • Rapid Target-to-Lead Progression: CrystalsFirst’s MAGNET platform — integrating SmartSoak®-technology and FragAI — accelerated the progression from target to lead compound, delivering
    co-crystal structures. This structural biology approach confirmed novel binding pockets for differentiated therapeutic programs.
  • Partnership Expansion: Buoyed by the collaboration’s success, Think Bioscience and CrystalsFirst plan to broaden the scope of their partnership. The expansion will enable additional pipeline programs for Think Bioscience and broaden their use of the MAGNET platform in discovery efforts, with the goal of advancing more first-in-class therapies to the clinic.

HAMBURG, Germany, & BOULDER, Colorado, USA — May 9, 2025 — Think Bioscience, a small molecule discovery company that leverages synthetic biology to find novel binding pockets on challenging drug targets, and CrystalsFirst, a leader in structure-based drug discovery solutions, today announced that their ongoing collaboration has led to the identification of novel mechanisms of action for several difficult targets in Think Bioscience’s pipeline. Building on this success, the two companies have agreed to expand their partnership.

In their initial collaboration, Think Bioscience’s researchers worked closely with CrystalsFirst’s team to apply the MAGNET platform to challenging targets. This approach rapidly generated abundant structural data enabled by the SmartSoak®-technology. The rich structural data and structure-guided compound designs have not only accelerated the progression from targets to lead candidates but also unveiled new binding mechanisms. These novel insights are enabling Think Bioscience to devise therapeutic strategies that were not possible using conventional methods.

Buoyed by their early success, the two companies will expand their collaboration to include additional pipeline programs and expanded use of the MAGNET platform. By continuing to integrate CrystalsFirst’s structural biology capabilities early in the discovery process, Think Bioscience aims to accelerate first-in-class drug programs that address high unmet medical need. This expanded partnership underscores the commitment of both Think Bioscience and CrystalsFirst to push the boundaries of drug discovery for challenging targets.

“We are thrilled with the results achieved by our collaboration with CrystalsFirst,” said Jerome Fox, Ph.D., co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Think Bioscience. “CrystalsFirst’s MAGNET platform exceeded our expectations by rapidly delivering high-resolution structural data, including novel mechanistic insights, to guide medicinal chemistry. We look forward to expanding our partnership with CrystalsFirst to leverage their platform across even more targets.”

“Think Bioscience’s innovative synthetic biology platform is redefining how the industry approaches difficult-to-drug targets,” said Serghei Glinca, Ph.D., co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of CrystalsFirst. “By combining Think’s breakthrough biology with our MAGNET platform, we rapidly revealed tractable binding sites and novel chemistry for challenging targets. We are excited to expand our collaboration and continue fueling Think’s innovative pipeline with cutting-edge technology in structural biology and AI, ultimately accelerating the path from targets to promising drug candidates.”

ABOUT Think Bioscience

Think Bioscience is a privately held small molecule discovery company based in Boulder, Colorado, focused on developing therapeutics against targets that have historically been considered “undruggable”. The company’s proprietary platform combines applied microbiology, enzymology, and data science to program microbes to discover novel functional binding pockets. By unveiling novel mechanisms of biomolecular engagement, Think Bioscience’s approach enables the discovery of first-in-class programs for diseases with high unmet need. For more information, please visit: thinkbioscience.com

About CrystalsFirst

CrystalsFirst is a leading specialist in structure-based drug discovery and target enablement. Founded in 2018, CrystalsFirst has developed the MAGNET platform, a breakthrough technology platform that integrates advanced crystallographic techniques with artificial intelligence to unlock chemical matter for difficult targets. The platform’s components include SmartSoak®, which accelerates the path and increase the success rate protein-ligand co-structures, and FragAI, a proprietary generative AI system for molecular design and optimization. Using this unique “structure-first” approach, CrystalsFirst has successfully enabled over 40 drug targets, empowering pharma and biotech partners to design novel modulators for proteins that were previously intractable.  For more information, please visit: crystalsfirst.com

Media Contacts

CrystalsFirst GmbH

Dr. Serghei Glinca
CEO, CrystalsFirst GmbH
serghei.glinca@crystalsfirst.com

Think Bioscience, Inc.

Philip Jeng
COO, Think Bioscience
pjeng@thinkbioscience.com

Press Release Biotechwire

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Advancing Fragment-Based Lead Generation Through Integrated Expertise

Advancing Fragment-Based Lead Generation Through Integrated Expertise

A fully integrated, end-to-end workflow for fragment-based lead generation —seamlessly combining leading expertise in biophysics, cell biology, structural biology, and medicinal chemistry to accelerate lead generation.

• 2bind – biophysical screening & profiling
• Arctoris – biochemistry & cell biology
• CrystalsFirst – high-performance crystallography
• SpiroChem – medicinal & synthetic chemistry

By leveraging complementary expertise, we provide a rigorous and data-driven approach to identifying and advancing high-quality lead candidates. This integrated platform streamlines the transition from drug targets to validated leads, reducing risk and increasing efficiency.

Get in touch to advance and accelerate your drug discovery campaigns.

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CrystalsFirst Scales Operations with Cutting-Edge Lab Infrastructure Upgrade

CrystalsFirst Scales Operations with Cutting-Edge Lab Infrastructure Upgrade

Hamburg, Germany – February 20, 2025 – CrystalsFirst, a leading provider of advanced structural biology solutions and AI-driven drug discovery, is pleased to announce a multi-million-euro expansion of its laboratory infrastructure and technological capabilities. This strategic initiative will significantly enhance the company’s ability to scale its MAGNET platform, which integrates proprietary SmartSoak® technology with an in-house developed generative AI framework, FragAI, to unlock therapeutic potential for drug targets.

Leveraging its strong financial position, CrystalsFirst is committed to advancing its mission of accelerating drug discovery by unlocking novel chemical matter. With 40+ successful collaborations with leading biotech companies, this expansion will further strengthen its ability to deliver cutting-edge solutions for the drug discovery industry.

“This investment underscores our dedication to pushing the boundaries of structural biology and structurally-enabled drug discovery,” said Dr. Serghei Glinca, CEO of CrystalsFirst. “By enhancing our facilities and technological capabilities, we aim to provide even greater value to our partners and accelerate the development of innovative medicines.”

At its new premises in Hamburg, CrystalsFirst is significantly expanding its operations to foster greater synergy. Operations at the site are set to begin in Q2 2025, marking a major milestone in CrystalsFirst’s growth and ongoing commitment to transforming early-stage drug discovery. 

 

Media Contact

Dr. Serghei Glinca

CEO, CrystalsFirst GmbH

 serghei.glinca@crystalsfirst.com

+49 6421 968814-0

 

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding CrystalsFirst’s expansion plans and anticipated benefits. Actual results may vary due to various factors. CrystalsFirst assumes no obligation to update these statements.

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CrystalsFirst Recognized by Fierce Biotech as a Top CRO for Innovative Solutions in Drug Development

CrystalsFirst Recognized by Fierce Biotech as a Top CRO for Innovative Solutions in Drug Development

CrystalsFirst is setting new standards as one of the best CROs in the field for Innovative Solutions in Drug Development. Recognized by Fierce Biotech for its pioneering achievements, CrystalsFirst is transforming drug discovery through its advanced MAGNET platform. This platform demonstrates the company’s commitment to excellence, combining breakthrough technologies and deep expertise to address some of the most complex challenges in drug design.

Key achievements of the MAGNET platform include:

  • Target Enablement: Successfully enabling over 40 drug targets, broadening therapeutic possibilities and pushing the frontiers of drug discovery.
  • SmartSoak® Technology: Accelerating the path to co-structures, significantly reducing the time required for target validation.
  • FragAI for Molecular Design: Leveraging proprietary generative AI to design and optimize molecular structures, enhancing both efficiency and precision in the early stages of drug discovery.

These advancements underscore CrystalsFirst’s commitment to redefining industry standards and accelerating the drug discovery process with next-generation technologies. This recognition from Fierce Biotech reinforces CrystalsFirst’s role as a leader in innovative drug discovery solutions, positioning the company at the forefront of the industry.

With a focus on the future, CrystalsFirst aims to further expand its pioneering work by advancing into targeted protein degradation and, more broadly, proximity-induced modalities. This new direction reflects CrystalsFirst’s commitment to evolving with cutting-edge science and applying innovative approaches shaping the industry.

2024 Fierce CRO Awards Finalists

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CrystalsFirst is joining the PROXIDRUGS consortium

CrystalsFirst is joining the PROXIDRUGS consortium

CrystalsFirst is thrilled to announce its joining of the PROXIDRUGS consortium, a groundbreaking initiative focused on developing innovative proximity-inducing drugs to target disease-causing proteins.

By joining PROXIDRUGS, CrystalsFirst aligns itself with a visionary project that spans the entire preclinical drug development pipeline. This collaboration promises to accelerate the translation of cutting-edge research into tangible therapeutic solutions, potentially transforming patient outcomes across multiple disease areas.

PROXIDRUGS is at the forefront of a revolutionary approach to drug discovery. This consortium brings together leading experts to create better therapies for a wide range of diseases, including cancer, inflammatory disorders, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative conditions.

The core of PROXIDRUGS’ strategy lies in proximity-based pharmaceuticals, a novel class of drugs with the potential to degrade approximately 80% of disease-relevant proteins. This approach opens up new possibilities for treating conditions that have long eluded effective therapies.

We look forward to contributing our expertise to this consortium and working alongside academic and industry partners to push the boundaries of drug discovery. Together, we aim to unlock new paradigms in personalized medicine and address critical unmet medical needs.

Read more

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The SMARTSOAK® Advantage for E3 Ligases

THE SMARTSOAK® ADVANTAGE FOR E3 LIGASES

SmartSoak® provides significant advantages for hit identification of novel binders and recruiters for E3 ligases. 

    • Track record in the E3 ligase space
    • Ready to screen high-quality proteins for structural biology, e.g. VHL/VCB
    • Screening covalent and non-covalent libraries
    • Machine learning platform for fragment evolution
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Computational Modeling Drives Selectivity of CRL4 CRBN Recruiting Protacs

COMPUTATIONAL MODELING DRIVES SELECTIVITY OF CRL4 CRBN RECRUITING PROTACs

  • Selectivity is still a major challenge in the design of CRL4CRBN recruiting PROTACs. 
  • Prediction of key interactions mediating the formation of productive ternary complexes can overcome the selectivity issues. 
  • Using structural insights from known neo-substrates, degron blocking design principles, and computational modelling lead to an analogue with an improved selectivity profile. 
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CrystalsFirst announces its generative AI extension – FragAI -as part of the MAGNET platform. 

CrystalsFirst announces its generative AI extension - FragAI - as part of the MAGNET platform.

CrystalsFirst’s MAGNET platform overcomes current limitations of small molecule drug discovery. Our proprietary technology SmartSoak® detects molecular magnets and generative AI identifies novel molecules and druggable binding pockets. 

Applications and features of FragAI: 

  • Intellectual Property shield and protection
  • Ligand- and structure-based workflows
  • Fragment evolution for FBDD
  • Hit-to-lead and lead optimization tailoring the target product profile
  • Compatible with X-ray crystallography and CryoEM derived structures
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The SMARTSOAK® Advantage for Covalent Drug Discovery

THE SMARTSOAK® ADVANTAGE FOR COVALENT DRUG DISCOVERY

SmartSoak® provides significant advantages for for covalent fragment-based drug discovery enabling rapid determination of co-structures for optimization: 

  • Conventional soaking fails to modify the cysteine in the active site
  • SmartSoak setup enables the covalent modification of cysteine
  • High resolution co-structure of human protein with novel MOA at 1.3 Å

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