Solu Therapeutics, a company that develops a new type of antibody medication, released $ 41 million in financing on Wednesday for clinical tests of a therapy with the potential to provide a safer and more effective approach to blood cancers.
Solu, based in Boston, has already begun the dosage of patients in a phase 1 test of the STX-0712 lead program in resistant or refractory chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) and other hematological malignments. The objective of the drug is CCR2, a receiver that plays a role in the development and progression of cancer. The Solu drug is intended to eliminate positive CCR2 cells. He does it in a novel way.
Antibodies and small molecules are well -established therapeutic modalities to treat cancer. Solu says that his approach brings together both modalities to the proteins objective of the cell surface that otherwise cannot be addressed. The company uses small molecules to join elusive objectives such as protein coupled receptors (GPCR) and ionic channels. CCR2 is a GPCR.
Solu’s molecules are bifunctional, with an arm that binds to the target of the cell surface and another arm that left a patented antibody. Doing it imbues the therapy with the property and functions of an antibody, as greater durability in the body. Solu says that this approach could sacrifice a more specific and effective treatment with minimal effects on healthy tissue.
“By directly exhausting the positive malignant monocytes for CCR2 that conduct CMML, STX-0712 has the potential to sacrifice a highly specific and specific therapy for patients who currently have a limited treatment Santillana Sergio Sergio-Medical.
Duration The annual meeting of the American Hematology Society last December, Solu presented data that show STX-0712 positive CCR2 cells for success in samples of CMML patients and acute myeloid leukemia. The drug tests on monkeys showed that it was safe and well tolerated with a favorable pharmacokinetic profile.
The technology of the Solu platform, called cytotoxicity aimed at chimera (Cytac), and their candidates for medications, received GSK license. The startup was founded by the Risk Capital Firm Longwood Fund. Solu emerged in 2023 supported for $ 31 million in financing of Longwood seeds and Santé Ventures. Beyond cancer, the company says that its approach could have applications to immunology and other therapeutic areas.
The Financing of Serie A announced on Wednesday added new investors Eli Lilly & Company, Biovision Ventures, Capital, HENGDIAN Group Capital and the Acceleration Program of the Therapy of the Society of Leukemia and Lymphoma. Longwood and Santé also participated in the new financing together with other previous investors DCVC BIO, Astellas Venture Management and Alexandria Venture Investments.
With the new capital, Solu plans to complete the dose escalation and the expansion of its main CMML program. The company also plans to develop candidates for additional medicines, including what it describes as a new exhausting first class mast cells for immune diseases. In addition, Solu plans to start new discovery programs aimed at pathogenic cells and explore new applications for their platform technologies.
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