Concarlo Therapeutics is developing novel therapeutics that target drug-resistant cancers by leveraging advancements in p27 biology to inhibit cancer cell proliferation. This approach aims to improve treatment outcomes for patients facing limited options due to resistance to existing therapies.
Funding
$7.7M 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 existing therapies, limiting treatment options and leading to poor outcomes for patients. Current treatments for cancers driven by CDK4 do not cause durable tumor arrest, and inhibiting CDK2 has proven problematic due to toxicity. There is a need for more effective treatments that can overcome drug resistance and improve survival rates, especially for metastatic breast cancer.
Solution
Concarlo Therapeutics is developing a novel therapeutic peptide, IpY, and a companion diagnostic, ApY, to address drug resistance in cancer, particularly CDK4i resistance in breast cancer. IpY targets p27Kip1, a key regulator of cancer-related proteins like CDK4, CDK6, and CDK2, inhibiting both CDK4 and CDK2 with high specificity. This approach aims to kill tumor cells rather than just slowing their proliferation, potentially offering an alternative to chemotherapy. IpY has demonstrated efficacy in preclinical studies, inhibiting proliferation in ER-positive and triple-negative breast cancer cell lines resistant to Palbociclib and showing effectiveness in treating Palbociclib-resistant breast cancer cell line xenograft models in vivo.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes patients with drug-resistant cancers, particularly metastatic breast cancer, and the oncologists treating them.
Features
- Novel therapeutic peptide (IpY) targeting p27Kip1 to inhibit CDK4 and CDK2
- Companion diagnostic (ApY) for tailored therapy approach
- Designed to overcome CDK4i resistance in breast cancer
- Demonstrated efficacy in ER-positive and triple-negative breast cancer cell lines
- Induces tumor regression in preclinical studies
- Aims to provide a less toxic alternative to chemotherapy