how it’s done
Our MInT technology platform
An integrin’s activity is often related to its particular shape or conformation.
Our unique understanding of integrin biology enables us to deliberately control various conformations and thereby modulate the activity of integrins to treat disease.
Unique signaling ability to modulate multiple cellular biological processes
As adhesion receptors, integrins mediate many key cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions. They are obligate heterodimers (a union of two different proteins) composed of an α subunit and a β subunit. Humans have 18 different types of α subunits and 8 different β subunits. Through combination, these result in the 24 known human integrins, all potential targets of Morphic’s platform.
Integrins are the only human receptors known to signal bi-directionally, both “inside-out” and “outside-in”, to integrate intracellular and extracellular information. This bi-directional signaling ability allows integrins to affect virtually every aspect of cell and organ homeostasis.
Disease Focus Areas

Morphic is leveraging a proprietary integrin discovery platform to discover and develop first-in-class oral small molecule integrin therapeutics across a range of disease areas with an initial focus on autoimmune diseases, fibrosis and cancer.

Tim A. Springer, Ph.D.
Latham Family Professor at Harvard Medical School
Morphic’s foundational scientific partner, the Springer Laboratory, was the first to identify the integrin antagonist candidates were inducing agonistic responses which worsened the disease and developed a new class of antagonistic integrin inhibitor to stabilize the desired integrin conformation.
Benefiting from the decades of integrin expertise built at the Springer laboratory Morphic is focused on using its integrin discovery platform to discover and develop first-in-class oral small molecule integrin therapeutics across a range of disease areas.
The Promise of Integrins
How we cracked the code of oral integrins
The therapeutic potential of integrins has been widely recognized for years because of their central roles in almost all phases of human biology as well as many diseases. Several integrin inhibitors have been approved for the treatment of a range of diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, and acute coronary syndrome, all of which are injected, as well as dry eye, which is delivered topically.
Oral Therapies:
Setbacks and Solutions
The infusible or topical nature of approved integrin therapies significantly restrict their therapeutic potential.
Current integrin inhibitors are limited in earlier lines of treatment. This significant medical need drove clinical development of several oral integrin drug candidates which saw repeated toxicity and clinical failure.
MInT Technology Platform

Morphic has developed the MInT (Morphic Integrin Technology) platform, an effective drug discovery platform that combines our core capabilities across integrin biology, structural analysis, therapeutic design, and translational development with ongoing input from the Springer laboratory, the long-term integrin research leader. Morphic’s discovery capabilities span every member of the 24-member integrin family and include both inhibitors and activators of integrin activity informed by Morphic’s exclusive know-how in the development of molecules that stabilize specific integrin receptor conformations. Each unique compound in our >16k library paired with our strong computational partnership with Schrodinger informs new designs against current and future integrin targets creating a virtuous cycle of drug discovery.

Learn more about Morphic’s unique MInT platform
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TL1A and IL-23

Morphic is leveraging its structural biology expertise and medicinal chemistry capabilities to develop small molecule therapeutic candidates against non-integrin targets including TL1-A and IL-23. Inhibition of these pathways have potential as treatments for IBD through monotherapy and possibly in combination with other IBD treatment mechanisms including α4β7 inhibition.

α5β1

Morphic is developing small molecule inhibitors of the integrin α5β1 based on research demonstrating that fibronectin integrin inhibition suppresses pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell proliferation. Potential indications include severe pulmonary hypertensive disease including pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Integrin Partnership: Janssen

Morphic entered a research partnership with Janssen in 2019 to discover inhibitors of undisclosed integrin targets. In 2021, this partnership was expanded to include an antibody activator of an integrin target, extending the application of Morphic’s knowledge of integrin biology into modalities beyond small molecules. The antibody activator program is the focus of our collaboration with Janssen today.

Undisclosed Targets

Morphic is leveraging the MInT Platform to discover therapeutically relevant small molecule inhibitors of targets across the integrin family to treat autoimmune diseases, cancer and fibrotic diseases.

Undisclosed Target for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Morphic is deploying the MInT Platform to create small molecule inhibitors of an undisclosed integrin target for evaluation as a potential treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). PAH is a devastating, usually fatal disease characterized by elevated mean pressures in the pulmonary artery and associated with lung and heart dysfunction. Morphic’s PAH program is in preclinical development.

αvβ8 (MORF-088)

Morphic is developing small molecule inhibitors of the integrin αvβ8 for potential uses in myelofibrosis and a combination immuno-oncology approach for the treatment of solid tumors. αvβ8 is known to activate selective isoforms of TGF-β and Morphic has demonstrated that αvβ8 inhibition can drive increased platelet production and potentiate immune checkpoint blockade and potentially drive responses in checkpoint refractory tumors. Morphic’s αvβ8 inhibitors are in preclinical development.

Next Gen α4β7 Inhibitors

Morphic is developing a family of next generation α4β7 small molecule inhibitors with enhanced attributes using the MInT Platform. These candidates have distinct chemical properties from our first-generation inhibitors with differentiated selectivity, potency, and pharmacokinetic profiles. Morphic’s next generation α4β7 inhibitors are currently in preclinical development.