NeoPhore develops first‑in‑class small‑molecule inhibitors that transiently block DNA mismatch repair (MMR) in tumor cells, chemically mimicking the MMR‑deficient phenotype that responds to checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy. By inducing a reversible MMR‑deficient state, their therapy reprograms otherwise resistant MMR‑proficient cancers to become immunogenic, enabling combination with existing chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy regimens and expanding the pool of patients who can benefit from durable immune responses.
Funding
$47.4M 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.
BMFounders
Product
Problem
Most cancer patients have tumors that are proficient in DNA mismatch repair (MMR‑p), making them unresponsive to current immune checkpoint therapies. Without a way to convert these tumors to an immunogenic state, many patients cannot benefit from durable immunotherapy responses.
Solution
NeoPhore is developing small‑molecule inhibitors that transiently block the MMR pathway in tumor cells, chemically mimicking the genetic loss seen in MMR‑deficient (MMR‑d) cancers. By temporarily inducing an MMR‑d phenotype, the approach reprograms otherwise resistant tumors to become sensitive to checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy. The therapy can be administered alone or in combination with standard‑of‑care regimens, aiming to expand the pool of patients who achieve durable immune‑mediated tumor control. Preclinical models demonstrate that pharmacologic MMR inhibition reproduces the immune responsiveness observed in genetically MMR‑deficient tumors, supporting progression to clinical testing.
Target Audience
Primary customers are pharmaceutical companies and oncology clinical development programs seeking to augment the efficacy of checkpoint inhibitor therapies, as well as academic and translational research groups focused on immuno‑oncology.
Features
- First‑in‑class small‑molecule agents that selectively and reversibly inhibit key proteins in the DNA mismatch repair pathway
- Transient pharmacologic blockade designed to avoid permanent genomic instability while achieving an immunogenic tumor phenotype
- Preclinical validation showing enhanced response to checkpoint inhibitors in MMR‑proficient tumor models
- Platform enables combination with existing chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy regimens
- Proprietary assay suite for rapid discovery and optimization of MMR inhibitors