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.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
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