Asylia Therapeutics develops immune-modulating therapies that enhance antigen presentation to the immune system, targeting autoimmune diseases and cancer. Their drug pipeline has demonstrated significant anti-tumor responses in various cancer models, aiming to improve treatment outcomes for patients with these conditions.
Funding
$14.5M 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
Current cancer immunotherapies, like checkpoint inhibitors, are ineffective in many patients because the immune system fails to recognize and attack tumors. In autoimmune diseases, the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissues due to over-activation and inappropriate antigen presentation.
Solution
Asylia Therapeutics is developing a pipeline of antibody drugs designed to modulate antigen presentation, restoring immune balance in both cancer and autoimmune disorders. Their lead antibody, ASY-77A, targets the extracellular form of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), a key molecule in antigen delivery to the immune system. By enhancing antigen presentation in cancer, ASY-77A aims to convert immunologically "cold" tumors into "hot" tumors, increasing the effectiveness of immunotherapy. Conversely, in autoimmune diseases, Asylia's approach seeks to reduce inappropriate antigen presentation, thereby suppressing the harmful immune response.
Target Audience
Asylia's primary target audience includes patients with cancers that are unresponsive to existing immunotherapies, as well as individuals suffering from autoimmune diseases such as lupus.
Features
- ASY-77A: A first-in-class antibody therapeutic targeting extracellular HSP70
- Mechanism of Action: Modulates antigen presentation to restore immune balance
- Immuno-oncology Application: Enhances antigen presentation in tumors to stimulate anti-tumor immune responses
- Autoimmune Application: Reduces antigen presentation to suppress harmful immune responses
- Potential to convert immunologically "cold" tumors into treatable "hot" tumors