Dalriada, Topos Bio form small molecule discovery partnership for intrinsically disordered proteins

Toronto-based Dalriada Drug Discovery and San Francisco-based Topos Bio have entered a research collaboration to advance small-molecule drug discovery against intrinsically disordered proteins, a class of targets that lack stable three-dimensional structures and have long resisted conventional drug design approaches. The deal, announced March 17, 2026, pairs Dalriada’s protein mass spectrometry and chemoproteomics capabilities with Topos Bio’s AI and physics-based computational modeling platform. Both companies are privately held. No specific drug candidate or single target was named.

The collaboration integrates Dalriada’s iCLASS live-cell multi-proteomics platform with Topos Bio’s AI- and physics-based computational modeling system. The workflow is designed to iteratively link prediction and validation: Topos generates hypotheses on small-molecule interactions with disordered protein ensembles, while Dalriada experimentally assesses target engagement and selectivity in cellular systems, feeding data back to refine the models.

No specific targets or development candidates were disclosed. Dalriada operates as a contract research and partnered discovery organization, suggesting the agreement is structured as a collaborative research engagement rather than a traditional licensing deal.

Deal context

Intrinsically disordered proteins are estimated to account for 30%–40% of the human proteome and are implicated across oncology, neurodegeneration, and metabolic disease. Their lack of stable folding prevents formation of well-defined binding pockets, limiting the applicability of structure-based drug design approaches. The collaboration aims to address this limitation by combining empirical live-cell chemoproteomics with computational ensemble modeling.

Dalriada’s iCLASS platform is positioned to generate cellular-context data on protein–small molecule interactions using mass spectrometry and chemoproteomics, particularly for targets not amenable to structural biology techniques such as X-ray crystallography or cryo-EM. Topos Bio’s platform applies generative AI alongside physics-based simulation to model dynamic conformational states and identify potential binding interactions within disordered regions.

For Dalriada, the agreement extends its partnered discovery model into a target class with limited experimental toolsets. For Topos Bio, the collaboration introduces an experimental validation layer to support computational predictions. The company has described programs spanning neurodegeneration, oncology, and metabolic disease but has not disclosed specific assets.

Several groups have explored related approaches to IDP targeting. New Equilibrium Biosciences applies computational and experimental methods to characterize conformational ensembles. ESSA Pharma previously advanced ralaniten-class compounds targeting the intrinsically disordered N-terminal domain of the androgen receptor into clinical development for castration-resistant prostate cancer, although that program has since been discontinued.

In the chemoproteomics space, Vividion Therapeutics, acquired by Bayer for approximately USD 2 billion, demonstrated commercial validation of targeting difficult proteins. BridGene Biosciences and LeadArt Biotechnologies also operate chemoproteomic platforms focused on expanding access to undruggable targets.

No drugs have yet been rationally designed and approved specifically against intrinsically disordered proteins, and no clinical data have been reported for assets derived from integrated computational–experimental workflows of this type.