Rapafusyn Founder Dr. Jun O. Liu Elected as National Academy of Inventors Fellow

Prestigious honor recognizes Dr. Liu's pioneering contributions to the molecular glue field and his impact on scientific innovation, translational science, and human health

BALTIMORE, Dec. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Rapafusyn Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company advancing next-generation molecular glue therapeutics for hard-to-drug targets, today announced that its founder, Dr. Jun O. Liu of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, has been elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), the organization's highest professional distinction solely for academic inventors.

Election as an NAI Fellow is a highly prestigious honor bestowed upon academic inventors whose innovations have demonstrated significant real-world societal, economic, and health impact. The distinction places honorees among the top university innovators and patent holders, recognizing leaders who have consistently translated laboratory discoveries into technologies that improve lives. NAI Fellows are selected through a rigorous process that highlights outstanding contributions, prolific patent portfolios, and tangible impact that translates research breakthroughs into widely used technologies.

Dr. Liu is internationally recognized for groundbreaking contributions to natural product chemistry, drug mechanism discovery, and the molecular basis of molecular glues. In 1991, Dr. Liu, along with co-authors, published discoveries in the journal Cell, on the unprecedented mode of action of the immunosuppressive drugs FK506 and cyclosporin A, whereby they act by "gluing" the cellular chaperones FKBP12 and cyclophilin A.   

"I am humbled and deeply honored to be elected an NAI Fellow," said Dr. Jun O. Liu. "This recognition reflects the work of many talented colleagues, students, and collaborators over the years. I am proud to see our foundational discoveries continue to evolve into new therapeutic modalities with the potential to help patients."

Rapafusyn Pharmaceuticals' non-degrading macrocyclic molecular glues (RapaGlues™) leverage FKBP12 as a presenter protein to form protein-sized drug complexes that are effective in tackling broad types of hard-to-drug intracellular therapeutic targets. RapaGlues are cell permeable and offer advantageous drug properties to modulate protein-protein interaction (PPI) targets, including transcription factors, transmembrane proteins (such as SLCs), and enzymes. The platform has grown to include an industry-leading DNA-Encoded Library (DEL) containing more than 8 billion compounds of non-degrading glues and an early-stage pipeline of potentially first-in-class programs in oncology (GSTP1, SLC7A11), I&I (TNFR1-specific, STAT6), and renal (ENT1 for acute kidney injury) therapeutic areas.

"We are thrilled to see Dr. Liu honored at the highest national level for academic inventors," said Dr. Sean Hu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rapafusyn Pharmaceuticals. "His pioneering work in molecular glues laid the scientific foundation for this entire field, and his inventions continue to drive a new generation of non-degrading molecular glue-based therapeutics. This recognition reflects both the depth of Dr. Liu's scientific vision and the significance of his contributions to the molecular glue field."

About the National Academy of Inventors
The National Academy of Inventors is a member-based organization dedicated to recognizing and promoting academic inventions that benefit society.  Members comprise leading academic innovators from institutions in more than 100 countries. The NAI's Fellows Program represents the pinnacle of achievement for academic inventors, honoring individuals whose patented innovations and translational leadership have made a meaningful difference in the world.

About Rapafusyn Pharmaceuticals

Rapafusyn emerged from the laboratory of Dr. Jun O. Liu's, Professor of Physiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, with a mission to develop transformational medicines to address high unmet medical needs.  The platform leverages highly selective non-degrading macrocyclic molecular glues (RapaGlues^™) to modulate hard-to-drug intracellular therapeutic targets.  Rapafusyn has constructed both DNA-encoded libraries (DELs) and arrayed libraries of RapaGlues™ that form neo-protein-protein-interactions (PPIs) to inhibit a protein's native activity. These compounds are rationally designed and engineered to bind FKBP and form a ternary complex with the disease target protein, are cell-permeable, and offer a promising avenue for modulating transmembrane proteins, PPIs, enzymes, ligases, and SLCs.  RapaGlues™ have proven effective in producing innovative chemical starting points for challenging drug targets and have yielded an early-stage pipeline of potentially first in class programs in the oncology, I&I, and renal disease areas.  The modular architecture enables SAR and subsequent optimization for potency, selectivity, and physicochemical properties to accelerate drug discovery and development. 

For more information, please visit rapafusyn.com

Company Contact:
Heather Lavin
[email protected]

SOURCE Rapafusyn Pharmaceuticals