DeepCure Announces DC-15442 as Development Candidate, an Oral STAT6 Inhibitor with 100% in vivo inhibition of pSTAT6 and comparable efficacy to dupilumab across disease models

DC-15442 is a potent small molecule STAT6 inhibitor, which is not a degrader or prodrug, being advanced as a safe dupilumab-in-a-pill alternative for patients

BOSTON, June 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- DeepCure, an immunology therapeutics company leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to rapidly advance novel small molecule drugs, today announced the nomination of DC-15442 as its second development candidate. DC-15442 is a potent, selective, oral STAT6 inhibitor designed to replicate the safety as well as the efficacy of dupilumab, without requiring regular subcutaneous injections.

Dupilumab is FDA-approved for multiple indications driven by Type 2 inflammation, including atopic dermatitis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, chronic spontaneous urticaria, eosinophilic esophagitis, and prurigo nodularis. DeepCure designed DC-15442 to meet the demand for an oral alternative that is not only equally effective as dupilumab, but also has excellent safety, given that many patients are children and reproductive-aged adults with chronic, non-life-threatening conditions.

DC-15442 inhibits the same IL-4/IL-13 signaling pathway as dupilumab by blocking the interaction between unphosphorylated STAT6 (uSTAT6) and the IL-4Ra receptor, and by preventing nuclear translocation and dimerization of phosphorylated STAT6 (pSTAT6). Importantly, like dupilumab, DC-15442 does not degrade STAT6 proteins or impair uSTAT6 non-inflammatory functions. Therefore, DC-15442 does not have the on-target safety concerns of potential therapies based on STAT6 degradation.

In preclinical evaluations, DC-15442 achieved nearly 100% inhibition of pSTAT6 in the acute ovalbumin (OVA) allergy models, which outperforms IL-4Ra antibodies and other STAT6 inhibitors. In direct comparisons using the MC903 atopic dermatitis model, DC-15442 matched dupilumab's effectiveness, significantly reducing serum IgE levels to those seen in healthy controls. Additionally, DC-15442 has a dramatic effect on lung function in asthma models, restoring lung function to almost the same levels as healthy controls, with an effect superior to a leading JAK inhibitor (upadacitinib) and dexamethasone.

The development candidate also exhibits outstanding selectivity, showing no off-target activity across extensive screening panels - including 102 SH2 domain proteins, 468 kinases, and 78 assays targeting clinical adverse drug reaction-associated proteins. Preliminary in vivo safety assessments confirmed outstanding tolerability, with no observed adverse effects, underscoring its suitability for chronic use. In addition, DC-15442 is not a degrader, and therefore it does not have the potential toxicity concerns of PROTACs.

"We are extremely pleased that, in addition to excellent efficacy, DC-15442 demonstrates a very clean safety profile," said Kfir Schreiber, CEO & Co-Founder, DeepCure. "Many of the patients who will consider an oral STAT6 inhibitor will need to have chronic treatment for non-life-threatening conditions, so safety is paramount. As a selective, oral inhibitor that replicates dupilumab's proven mechanism without the target and modality risks associated with protein degradation, DC-15442 may expand the treated population and transform patient quality of life."

About DeepCure
DeepCure was founded by researchers at MIT to accelerate breakthrough therapies using artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced physics simulations to innovate small molecule discovery. The company is based in Boston, MA, and its engineers, chemists, and biologists collaborate on hard problems to find solutions that will have an enormous impact on patient health. For more information, visit www.deepcure.com.

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SOURCE DeepCure