The Long Run with Luke Timmerman Ep187: Eric Fischer on Creating a New Class of Medicines
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Oct 14, 2025 Eric Fischer, a structural biologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, dives into the innovative world of targeted protein degraders. He shares his early fascination with biology, recounts how thalidomide revealed new drug mechanisms, and contrasts PROTACs with molecular glues. Fischer discusses the importance of industry partnerships for translating academic discoveries into therapies and highlights the exciting potential of degraders in cancer treatment and beyond. Plus, he reflects on the collaborative environment in American research.
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Solving Thalidomide's Mechanism
- Eric Fisher describes solving how thalidomide binds cereblon and induces degradation of transcription factors.
- This discovery explained thalidomide's cancer activity and opened targeted protein degradation as a therapeutic concept.
Clinical Proof Changed Mindsets
- Clinical use of thalidomide provided immediate proof that induced protein degradation can be safe and effective.
- That real-world precedent changed minds about the feasibility of designing degraders as drugs.
Match Environment To Project Stage
- Use academia for discovery and pharma/biotech for structured drug development tasks like manufacturing and clinical trials.
- Partner or spin out programs when scale, resources, or regulated processes exceed lab capacity.