Phenyl Amide Compounds and Methods of Use

Assignee: Schrödinger, Inc.
Publication Number: US 20250368634 A1
Filed: June 13, 2023
Publication Date: December 4, 2025
Inventors: Jeremy Greenwood, Evelyne Houang, Zef Konst, Abba Leffler, Adam Levinson, Andrew Placzek, Anatoly Ruvinsky

What This Covers

This patent application discloses novel phenyl amide compounds (of a defined chemical Formula (I)) that have potential therapeutic activity against cancers by inhibiting key protein‑protein interactions in the Ras signaling pathway, specifically targeting the SOS1 protein and its interaction with Ras — a pathway central to many human cancers.

Key elements include:

Novel small‑molecule compounds that fit a phenyl amide scaffold with substituents designed to disrupt SOS1 activity and related Ras signaling.
Pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts.
Methods of use for inhibiting cell proliferation in vitro or in vivo by administering these compounds to a biological system.
Therapeutic methods of treating cancer or Ras‑pathway‑associated diseases (e.g., Ras‑mutant tumors) by administering an effective amount of the compound.

The application broadly claims not only the chemical entities but also how they can be used to intervene in aberrant Ras signaling, which is implicated in a large fraction of human cancers.

Why This Is Important

First‑party drug candidate IP: While Schrödinger is better known as a computational chemistry and drug discovery platform provider, owning IP on actual therapeutic compounds — especially ones that could become drug candidates — materially differentiates its portfolio and adds direct value beyond software licensing.
Commercial potential: Compounds targeting the Ras signaling pathway, particularly SOS1‑mediated interactions, are of intense interest in oncology because Ras mutations drive multiple aggressive cancers. Effective SOS1 inhibitors have high clinical and commercial value.
Platform demonstration: The application exemplifies Schrödinger’s strategy of leveraging its physics‑based computational platform to design and claim new therapeutic molecules — potentially expediting internal programs or collaborations with pharma partners.
Patent term roadmap: If and when granted, these IP rights could extend exclusivity into the 2040s (typical 20‑year term from filing), giving Schrödinger a long runway on any developed molecules from this family.

US 20250368634 A1 is one of Schrödinger’s most commercially promising patent assets active because it covers novel small‑molecule therapeutics for cancer, representing a shift toward owning compound‑centric IP in addition to its software patents — potentially enabling future drug development value or partnership revenue.

BioTech IP Review