AecorBio
AecorBio is an IND-enabling peptide therapeutics company developing orally active peptides that normalize dysregulated gene expression to restore tumor response to standard-of-care cancer treatments. Its lead candidate targets the IREB2 iron regulatory gene in ARPI-resistant prostate cancer, achieving 66% tumor reduction in resistant preclinical models where standard care alone had no effect. The drug uses a polymerized alpha-lipoic acid oral capsule formulation designed to survive gastric digestion.
- Drug Discovery & Therapeutics
- Biotechnology
- Healthcare Technology
Funding
Founders
Founder details are not available yet.
Product
Problem
Standard-of-care cancer therapies often lose effectiveness as tumors develop treatment resistance, driven by dysregulated gene expression that allows cancer cells to escape drug control. This resistance typically emerges within 15–25 months of treatment, leaving patients with limited options as their tumors stop responding to otherwise effective medicines.
Solution
AecorBio designs orally active peptides that normalize dysregulated gene expression to restore tumor response to standard-of-care treatments. The company's lead drug candidate targets the iron regulatory gene IREB2, which becomes dysregulated in ARPI-resistant prostate tumors, causing toxic free iron accumulation that drives resistance. By normalizing IREB2 expression, the peptide reduces free iron levels and restores the tumor's sensitivity to androgen receptor pathway inhibitors. Preclinical studies show 66% tumor reduction in resistant models where standard care alone had no effect, and 98% tumor reduction when added to still-effective therapy from the start. The drug is formulated as an oral capsule using polymerized alpha-lipoic acid, a biocompatible matrix that protects the peptide from gastric degradation and releases it in the small intestine. The company has received a favorable pre-IND response and is progressing toward a first-in-human Phase 1b trial in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients.
Target Audience
Primary customers are oncology drug developers and clinical trial sponsors targeting metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, with future pipeline expansion into immunology and neurology indications where gene expression dysregulation drives treatment resistance.
Features
- Oral peptide formulation using polymerized alpha-lipoic acid that survives gastric digestion and depolymerizes in the small intestine for systemic absorption
- Targets IREB2, the master iron regulatory gene, simultaneously normalizing downstream genes TFRC, FTH1, and FPN in a single mechanism
- First-in-class approach addressing validated but previously undruggable labile iron pool dysregulation in treatment-resistant tumors
- Designed as a co-treatment with standard-of-care, not a replacement, supporting two clinical strategies: resistance reversal and resistance delay
- Oral capsule dosage form aligned with IND-enabling toxicology studies and intended for first-in-human Phase 1b use
- Targeted mechanism that clears excess tumor free iron without disrupting systemic iron homeostasis or causing toxicity