This company develops novel anticancer drugs that target ALDH aldehyde dehydrogenase to overcome tumor chemoresistance. Their recombinant molecules aim to restore or activate endogenous cell death mechanisms in cancer cells, particularly for myeloid leukemia.
Funding
$15.6M 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 cancers develop resistance to chemotherapy, often due to elevated levels of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) enzymes within tumor cells. This resistance limits the effectiveness of standard treatments and contributes to poor patient outcomes. Current anticancer approaches targeting cancer metabolism face challenges in preventing toxicity to normal tissues and overcoming resistance from metabolic rewiring or tumor heterogeneity.
Solution
Advanced BioDesign is developing small-molecule inhibitors targeting the ALDH family of enzymes to overcome chemoresistance in cancer cells. Their lead drug candidate, ABD-3001, is a first-in-class suicidal inhibitor of ALDH1 and ALDH3, currently in Phase I/II clinical trials for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). ABD-3001 irreversibly blocks ALDH activity, causing a buildup of toxic aldehydes that form genotoxic adducts, disrupt oncogenic signaling, and induce oxidative stress, leading to cell death via apoptosis and ferroptosis. The company is also developing a second-generation ALDH inhibitor, ABD-0171, for solid tumors, which demonstrates a potentiated effect in combination with anti-PD1 therapies.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes patients with chemotherapy-resistant cancers, particularly acute myeloid leukemia, non-small cell lung cancer, and melanoma, as well as medical professionals in oncology.
Features
- ABD-3001: A small-molecule, irreversible inhibitor of ALDH1 and ALDH3 enzymes.
- Induces accumulation of reactive aldehydes, leading to genotoxic stress and cell death.
- Targets cancer metabolism by disrupting the detoxification of toxic metabolites.
- Overcomes chemoresistance advantages conferred by ALDH enzymes.
- ABD-0171: A second-generation ALDH inhibitor for solid tumors, showing synergistic effects with anti-PD1 therapies.
- ALDESCREEN®: A predictive and prognostic test to identify and stratify patients based on ALDH1 levels.