Janux Therapeutics develops tumor-activated immunotherapies that utilize bispecific molecules to selectively stimulate T cells within the tumor microenvironment, minimizing systemic safety issues. This approach aims to generate targeted immune responses to prevent tumor growth while preserving healthy tissue.
Funding
$350M 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
Traditional T-cell engager (TCE) therapies, while effective in hematological cancers, face limitations in treating solid tumors due to systemic toxicities, off-target effects on healthy tissues, and short half-lives, leading to suboptimal pharmacokinetics. Overactivation of the immune system can also result in cytokine release syndrome (CRS).
Solution
Janux Therapeutics is developing tumor-activated T-cell engagers (TRACTrs) and T-cell costimulatory engagers (TRACIrs) designed to selectively activate T cells within the tumor microenvironment. These bispecific molecules utilize a masking technology with tumor-specific cleavable peptide linkers to enhance tumor-specific activation and improve safety, dosing, and efficacy. The masks inhibit T-cell binding until removed by tumor-specific proteases, while an albumin-binding domain extends the half-life of the engagers. This approach aims to minimize systemic toxicity and off-target effects, offering a more targeted and effective immunotherapy for solid tumors.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes oncology researchers and clinicians focused on developing and applying targeted immunotherapies for patients with solid tumors.
Features
- Tumor-activated TRACTr and TRACIr platforms for precision oncology
- Bispecific molecules with tumor antigen-binding domain and T-cell binding domain (CD3 or CD28)
- Domain-optimized peptide masks covalently bound to the T-cell binding domain via tumor-specific cleavable peptide linkers
- Selective cleavage of peptide masks in the tumor microenvironment for localized T-cell activation
- Albumin-binding domain attached to domain masks via a tumor-cleavable peptide linker to extend half-life
- Designed for stability outside the tumor microenvironment to maintain drug candidate stability in the bloodstream
- High activity of demasked TCEs, enabling effective therapy at low levels of tumor target expression
- Modular technology allowing rapid development of new drug candidates
- Manufacturing processes similar to monoclonal antibody manufacturing for cost-effective production