TransCon technology for sustained delivery of proteins, peptides, and small molecules
Kennett Sprogøe
Senior Vice President, Product Innovation, Ascendis Pharma
Peptide and protein drug candidates often suffer from suboptimal properties such as poor bioavailability and inadequate circulation half-life due to rapid renal clearance and/or receptor- mediated clearance. The TransCon technology enables transient conjugation of a parent drug to a carrier through a linker to create a polymeric prodrug. Following injection, the proprietary linker autohydrolyzes in an enzyme-independent process based on pH and temperature, and unmodified parent drug is released at a rate fine-tuned through the design of the TransCon linker. Since drug is released in its native form, its original pharmacology is retained, with the same biodistribution, receptor affinity, and mode-of-action as the parent drug. Linkers have been developed with release rates that allow for the development of prodrugs that can deliver proteins, peptides, and small molecules with dosing frequencies ranging from days to several months. Soluble as well as insoluble carrier systems can be used to enable systemic or localized delivery. The TransCon technology has been used to develop a pipeline of rare endocrinology disease programs: TransCon Growth Hormone (in phase 3 for pediatric growth hormone deficiency), a long-acting prodrug of parathyroid hormone, TransCon PTH (in phase 1 for hypoparathyroidism), and a long-acting prodrug of C-type natriuretic peptide, TransCon CNP, (In phase 1 for achondroplasia).
Kennett Sprogøe is Senior Vice President, Product Innovation, and has been with Ascendis since the inception in 2007. Dr. Sprogøe has been responsible for the discovery process enabling the creation of Ascendis Pharma’s strong pipeline in rare endocrine diseases, by applying a holistic understanding of research, translational medicine, clinical development and market dynamics. Dr. Sprogøe is a frequent presenter at leading medical conferences within Endocrinology.
Dr. Sprogøe obtained his PhD degree from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.