Peloton Therapeutics aims to become a leading oncology company through the discovery and development of superior therapeutics, delivering extraordinary value to its employees, investors, and ultimately, cancer patients. The Company will initiate efforts with three cutting edge small molecule discovery programs, sourced from top investigators at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSWMC), including Dr. Steven McKnight, a world-recognized leader in the area of gene regulation.

Each of these programs represents a unique approach to cancer therapy, from blocking the tumor's critical need for adaptation to a limited oxygen supply to poisoning its ability to self-renew and proli...

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Peloton Therapeutics aims to become a leading oncology company through the discovery and development of superior therapeutics, delivering extraordinary value to its employees, investors, and ultimately, cancer patients. The Company will initiate efforts with three cutting edge small molecule discovery programs, sourced from top investigators at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSWMC), including Dr. Steven McKnight, a world-recognized leader in the area of gene regulation.

Each of these programs represents a unique approach to cancer therapy, from blocking the tumor's critical need for adaptation to a limited oxygen supply to poisoning its ability to self-renew and proliferate by shutting off key metabolic pathways and cancer stem cell compartments. Despite the promise of these approaches, the challenge of drug discovery necessitates a multiple shots-on-goal" approach.

To that end, Peloton Therapeutics will continually replenish its discovery pipeline by in-licensing one or more compelling new programs each year from UTSWMC and other leading institutions. This approach enables pipeline building and diversification without the delay, cost, and technology risk associated with more "conventional" biotech platforms. Furthermore, the Company will focus its resources on medicinal chemistry, rigorous pharmacology, IND-enabling pre-clinical toxicology, and eventual clinical development, leveraging the expertise in biology and HTS capabilities of academic scientists.

Peloton Therapeutics plans to initiate research efforts in 2011 with 2 or more "founding" programs in oncology. Current program candidates include: (1) Inhibitors of Hypoxia-inducible Factor; (2) Wnt and Hedgehog (Hh) pathway antagonists; (3) a platform for the identification of novel drug-target combinations aimed at unique molecular vulnerabilities in non-small cell lung cancer. Several additional programs at an earlier stage of discovery are also being evaluated, comprising a project "bullpen" for the Company. Peloton Therapeutics, Inc. was formerly known as Damascus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

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