Cellestia
Cellestia is developing first-in-class therapies that target pathogenic gene expression to treat autoimmune diseases and multi-drug resistant cancers. Their approach focuses on making previously undruggable targets accessible, aiming to improve patient outcomes and quality of life for those with limited treatment options.
- Biotechnology
Funding
Founders
Product
Problem
Many autoimmune diseases and multi-drug resistant cancers lack effective treatments due to the inaccessibility of key pathogenic gene expression targets. Traditional approaches struggle to modulate intracellular signaling pathways, leaving a significant unmet need for therapies that can address these previously "undruggable" targets.
Solution
Cellestia Biotech is developing first-in-class therapeutics that target specific nuclear transcription factors to modulate gene expression in autoimmune diseases and multi-drug resistant cancers. Their lead compound, CB-103, inhibits the CSL-NOTCH transcription complex, a key regulator in both cancer and autoimmune/inflammatory disorders. CB-103 has demonstrated safety and biological activity in human clinical trials, including Phase 2 studies for multi-drug resistant cancers and a planned proof-of-concept study for graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). Cellestia's approach overcomes dose-limiting toxicities associated with previous NOTCH inhibitors, offering a potential breakthrough in treating genetically defined cancers and modulating Treg cells in autoimmune conditions. The company is also advancing a pipeline of pre-clinical assets for chronic autoimmune indications, with IND-enabling studies underway.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes patients with multi-drug resistant cancers, individuals at risk of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), and those suffering from chronic autoimmune and inflammatory disorders.
Features
- CB-103: A first-in-class inhibitor of the CSL-NOTCH transcription complex
- Demonstrated target engagement and downregulation of key target genes in Phase 1 clinical trials
- Phase 2 clinical trials underway for multi-drug resistant cancers
- Development for prevention of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant
- Pre-clinical assets with in vivo proof of concept for chronic autoimmune and inflammatory disorders
- Utilizes structural biology, structure-activity relationship, and machine learning for drug development
- Approach allows for modulation of Treg cells in lymphoid organs and tissue resident Treg cells