Leveraging efficiency metrics for the optimization of CELMoDs™ as cereblon-based molecular glue degraders

Abstract

Efficiency metrics are useful in medicinal chemistry to track small molecule progress in lead optimization (LO). Molecular glue degraders are small molecules that mediate targeted protein degradation by chemically inducing proximity between an E3 ligase and a protein target. The potency and depth of protein degradation are important factors in identifying molecular glue drug candidates. We developed degradation efficiency metrics based on both potency and depth of degradation to track lead optimization objectives. We applied these efficiency metrics retrospectively to track optimization of a clinical molecular glue degrader series, resulting in the identification of Golcadomide (CC-99282). This work illustrates that efficiency metrics are beneficial for the identification of molecular glue drug candidates.