The startup develops controllable cell and gene therapies that utilize pharmacologic operating systems to regulate protein activity in cells. This technology enables physicians to enhance the efficacy of adoptive immunotherapy for cancer patients by using safe, orally active drugs to exert precise control over cell functions.
Funding
$325M 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.
WMFounders
Product
Problem
Adoptive cell therapies like Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs) have shown promise in treating solid tumors, but their efficacy is limited by the need for high-dose IL-2 co-administration, which causes significant toxicity and restricts patient eligibility. Conventional TIL therapies also suffer from limited persistence and anti-tumor activity, leading to suboptimal clinical outcomes.
Solution
Obsidian Therapeutics is developing controllable cell and gene therapies using its cytoDRiVE® platform to regulate protein activity within cells. Their lead program, OBX-115, is an engineered TIL therapy modified to produce membrane-bound IL15 (mbIL15), eliminating the need for toxic IL-2 co-administration. The cytoDRiVE platform utilizes drug-responsive domains (DRDs) to control protein function using an FDA-approved small molecule, providing precise control over cell functions. By eliminating IL-2 and enhancing TIL persistence and potency, OBX-115 aims to improve patient eligibility, reduce toxicity, and achieve more durable responses in patients with advanced solid tumors.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors, particularly melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer, who have failed prior lines of therapy, as well as the physicians who treat them.
Features
- cytoDRiVE® platform enables precise control of therapeutic protein expression using a small molecule drug.
- OBX-115 TIL therapy is engineered to express membrane-bound IL15 (mbIL15), removing the need for IL-2.
- mbIL15 promotes antigen-independent TIL expansion and persistence.
- mbIL15 drives expansion and activity of adjacent NK cells.
- Proprietary manufacturing process drives a desired TIL phenotype (memory T-cells, CD8+ T cells) and generates less exhausted cells.
- Preclinical data demonstrates enhanced TIL persistence, potency, and improved tumor control compared to unengineered TILs + IL-2.
- Designed to suppress activation-induced cell death and avoid capillary leak syndrome-associated toxicity.