Prazer Targets The Undruggable With Dual-Pathway TPD Platform

Jul 08 2026

• By Jung Won Shin • 5 min read

Prazer CEO talks to Scrip how the Korean biotech is advancing its proprietary TPD platform, designed to target both proteasome and lysosomal degradation pathways to address targets inaccessible to conventional approaches.

Prazer Therapeutics, a South Korean targeted protein degradation (TPD) venture established in 2019 by three professors at Kyung-Hee University, is pursuing what it views as a differentiated approach to the field through novel platform technology.

Key Takeaways

The Seoul-based company derives its name from “protein” plus “eraser,” reflecting its aim to develop novel small molecule therapeutics that can eliminate disease-associated proteins. Its proprietary SPiDEM (selective protein degradation-enabling moiety) platform is designed to enable the rational design and rapid optimization of both orally-available and brain-penetrating degrader molecules.

TPD technology first began to emerge in the 2010s as a new therapeutic approach based on the fact cells have two main systems responsible for protein degradation: the proteasome and the lysosome. TPD drugs are designed to direct target proteins to one of these degradation pathways.

How SPiDEM Platform Is Differentiated

“While the existing PROTAC [proteolysis targeting chimera] and molecular glue approaches have largely focused on proteasome-mediated degradation, Prazer’s SPiDEM technology is designed to leverage both proteasome and lysosome pathways depending on the target context,” explained CEO Kyung-Soo Inn in an interview with Scrip on the sidelines of the recent BIO KOREA 2026 meeting in Seoul.

This ability to address different degradation pathways is central to Prazer’s differentiation strategy in the burgeoning TPD sector, particularly for targets that may not be readily handled by conventional proteasomal degradation.

“Generally, lysosomes play an important role in degrading proteins that are difficult to address through conventional proteasome degradation, such as membrane proteins or aggregated proteins,” Inn said. “With SPiDEM, we aim to effectively degrade these types of proteins as well. This is a key difference.”

Another reason Prazer is pursuing this approach is to address certain limitations for existing TPD modalities. PROTACs have enabled rational target-based design but have often faced issues in druggability and pharmacokinetics. On the other hand, molecular glues can offer favorable drug-like properties, but rationally designing them around a specific target has historically been more challenging, he noted.

“With our approach, we aim to maintain the versatility and rational design associated with PROTACs, while pursuing drug-like properties more commonly associated with molecular glues. That balance is central to how we differentiate SPiDEM from existing TPD modalities,” the CEO said.

Pipeline Strategy

These platform attributes have also shaped Prazer’s broader pipeline strategy. While the company is expanding into oncology and immunology, its most advanced programs to are for neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

A common pathological feature of many neurodegenerative diseases is the accumulation of misfolded or aggregated proteins, which is closely linked to disease progression. This makes neurodegeneration a natural initial area of application for a platform designed to address difficult-to-degrade proteins.

“I believed that if small molecules could effectively remove these aggregated proteins, it could potentially lead to a new treatment strategy. Given the existing approaches like PROTACs, it’s quite difficult to deliver them into the brain,” Inn observed.

“We have generated preclinical compounds with drug-like properties, including brain penetration, which could be a key differentiator.”

Disease-associated aggregated proteins such as tau, and α-synuclein are thought to require degradation mechanisms beyond conventional proteasomal degradation, including autophagy-mediated lysosomal degradation. Prazer believes this is another area where its platform could have advantages.

“We believe that neurodegeneration is a therapeutic area where we can best leverage SPiDEM’s key advantages; brain penetration and the ability to address lysosomal degradation. That is why we are focusing our efforts there,” the executive told Scrip.

Deepening Relationship With J&J

Prazer’s progress in applying SPiDEM to challenging disease targets has also helped the company build relationships with global pharma partners, notably Johnson & Johnson, with which ties have deepened over the past few years.

Prazer’s engagement with J&J began at BIO KOREA in 2023 through scientific and business development discussions around the SPiDEM technology and potential areas of collaboration. These interactions later expanded to include JJDC, J&J’s corporate venture capital arm, which joined Prazer’s Series B financing as a lead investor last year.

“It is one of the first cases in which a Korean biotech company received direct equity investment from a global pharma company,” Inn said. “JJDC’s participation was meaningful for us, not only financially, but also in terms of external validation.”

In parallel, Prazer continued its collaboration discussions with J&J, which later resulted in a research collaboration and licensing agreement with J&J’s Neuroscience team at the end of last year.

Prazer was also selected as one of the first portfolio companies in JLABS Korea, part of J&J’s global incubator network, upon its launch in 2024, gaining access to mentoring, partnering support and global networking opportunities.

“We received tremendous support from JLABS such as coaching for preparation for meetings with global pharma companies and support for attending major events such as the BIO International Convention,” Inn noted.

Prazer is also in the final stage of closing a pre-initial public offering financing round with participation from existing shareholders as well as global financial investors. The financing is set to close in July and expected to further support the firm’s pipeline expansion and global growth strategy.

TPD Outlook Seen As Bright

Inn believes the outlook for the worldwide TPD space is “very bright” amid strong interest from global pharma firms. Chinese companies are also among the emerging players in the field.

“If we look at global TPD market trends, most of the top 20 pharma companies appear to have entered the TPD space. Some have formed internal teams, while others are sourcing externally,” he observed.

He also noted that recent trends show a greater number and size of platform-focused compared with asset-centric deals. “There are two key points here. First, the market may not yet be mature enough to generate a sufficient number of validated assets. Second, there still appears to be considerable room for improvement in the TPD platform space.”

In the near term, Prazer aims to achieve the milestones set under its collaboration with J&J and continue expanding its pipeline through additional collaborations.

“In the longer term, our goal is to follow the footsteps of global biotech companies such as Alnylam, Genmab and Seagen, which initially created novel platforms and later made them widely adopted,” Inn said.

원문 링크: Prazer Targets The Undruggable With Dual-Pathway TPD Platform