The startup develops a clinical-stage platform that enhances the antitumor activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors and infectious disease vaccines through a novel immune stimulation approach. This technology provides medical researchers with cost-effective and safe therapeutics that improve the efficacy of emerging cell-based immunotherapies.
Funding
$6.7M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Many solid tumors are resistant to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) like anti-PD-1 and aCTLA-4 antibodies, especially immunologically 'cold' tumors that fail to elicit strong immune responses. Current hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) methods face challenges such as graft failure, racial disparities in donor matching, prolonged recovery times, and limitations in supporting CRISPR-based therapies.
Solution
7 Hills Pharma is developing first-in-class, integrin-targeted agonists to improve cancer immunotherapies and stem cell transplantation. Their lead molecule, Alintegimod, is an orally delivered small molecule designed to overcome anti-PD-1 resistance by selectively activating the integrins LFA-1 and VLA-4, enhancing T cell recruitment, activation, and tumor cell targeting. 7HP935, another small molecule, selectively activates the integrin VLA-4 to accelerate the homing and engraftment of hematopoietic stem cells into the bone marrow niche, potentially improving HSCT success rates and reducing recovery times. By improving adhesion at each step, Alintegimod enhances the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in tackling anti-PD-1/PD-L1-resistant solid tumors. 7HP935 aims to address key challenges like graft failure, racial disparities, and the limitations of CRISPR-based therapies, offering a comprehensive solution that could transform outcomes for patients with hematological malignancies and genetic disorders alike.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes patients with advanced solid tumors resistant to anti-PD-1 therapies, patients with hematological malignancies and genetic disorders requiring hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and researchers in the fields of immuno-oncology and stem cell therapy.
Features
- Alintegimod: First-in-class dual LFA-1 and VLA-4 agonist to augment solid tumor immunity
- 7HP935: First-in-class VLA-4 agonist to augment stem cell engraftment
- Alintegimod enhances leukocyte trafficking, antigen presentation, T cell activation, and stabilization of killing synapse
- 7HP935 accelerates the timeline from HSCT to successful stem cell engraftment
- 7HP935 lowers risk of deadly infections and other complications during transplant recovery
- 7HP935 may reduce patient time in hospital, cutting overall treatment costs and improving the efficiency of healthcare delivery
- Alintegimod is currently in Phase Ib/IIa clinical trial
- 7HP935 is currently undergoing IND-enabling studies