Conformation-X Therapeutics Bolts out of Stealth, Securing Over $13.5M in Funding to Propel Its Innovative Immune-Oncology Pipeline
3.4.2024 13:55:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Conformation-X Therapeutics, LLC, an immune-oncology focused drug development company, announced today that it has closed an oversubscribed funding tranche of $3.65M, bringing the total raised since inception to over $13.5M. The company unveiled its lead assets by disclosing successful ex vivo and in vivo proof-of-concept studies for its HHLA2 and IL18BP programs, marking critical milestones in the cancer drug development process.
Drawing inspiration from the fundamental role of protein conformations in disease biology and drug efficacy, Conformation-X applies unparalleled precision to developing novel immune checkpoint inhibitors. The company is creating a comprehensive portfolio of differentiated therapeutics addressing cancer mechanisms that have eluded existing treatments.
“The limitations of current checkpoint therapies are evident, as they don’t fully target the diverse spectrum of mechanisms associated with non-responsiveness and treatment resistance,” said Dr. Ali H. Munawar, CEO of Conformation-X Therapeutics.
Despite the pivotal role of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in cancer immunotherapy, several peer-reviewed clinical studies have shown that the overall response rate across various cancers remains at or below 20%. Patients facing resistance to conventional checkpoint therapies encounter a range of challenges. This includes tumors that inherently possess low immunogenicity, are less likely to trigger an immune response, and immune exclusion, which restricts immune cells from the tumor microenvironment (TME). Moreover, complex genetic landscapes featuring oncogenic drivers and epigenetic modifications further contribute to immune evasion and influence treatment outcomes.
Dr. Munawar added, “We are committed to pioneering alternative therapeutic options for these patients by targeting novel biology and molecular pathways. The successive rounds of funding are a testament to our investors’ confidence in the innovation and rigor behind our efforts.”
The recent capital infusion accelerates the company towards translational studies of its lead asset and facilitates the expansion of its pipeline. The company's pipeline encompasses diverse drug target classes, extending beyond the current landscape of immune checkpoints to include novel soluble and epigenetic checkpoints while continuing to innovate within the B7-family of receptors.
“Achieving selective therapeutic targeting of HHLA2 demonstrates our team’s profound understanding of its intricate structure-function relationship and the critical role that HHLA2 plays in tumor immune evasion. Our work highlights the strength of Conformation-X’s drug discovery platform,” said Dr. Stephen Weeks, Sr. Director of Structural Biology and Biophysics.
About Conformation-X Therapeutics
Conformation-X utilizes a proprietary discovery platform enriched by structural insights to pioneer therapeutics with innovative mechanisms of action. The company is developing a diverse portfolio of immunotherapies that activate both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. The company’s premier preclinical asset includes a potent HHLA2-inhibitor that selectively restores its immune-suppressing effect with application in PD1/PDL1-negative cancers. To learn more visit www.conformationx.com.
Conformation-X Therapeutics is an independent, privately held research & development (R&D) company affiliated with the Pledge Therapeutics discovery platform.
About Pledge Therapeutics
Pledge Therapeutics is headquartered in Greater Boston with a second R&D branch in Leuven, Belgium. Pledge harnesses a state-of-the-art platform that merges structure-based drug design with biophysics, facilitating breakthroughs in the design of treatments for challenging therapeutic targets.
Pledge is grounded in a collaborative ethos, drawing on a network of experienced life sciences entrepreneurs, clinicians, and discovery scientists. Under its management umbrella, Pledge unites two independent biotech ventures: Orthogon Therapeutics, which specializes in antiviral treatments, and Conformation-X, dedicated to advancements in immune-oncology. This integrated model reinforces Pledge’s mission to revolutionize patient care across diverse therapeutic areas. More info on www.pledge-tx.com.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240403623298/en/
Contact information
Media
Ali H. Munawar, Ph.D.
amunawar@conformationx.com
1-339-502-8643
Maria Martin
mmartin@pledge-tx.com
1-339-502-8630
Krishna Kandala
kkandala@pledge-tx.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Toluna Announces Planned CEO Transition After 25 Years; Founder Frédéric Charles Petit to remain as Board Member, Senior Advisor and Shareholder8.10.2026 17:20:00 EEST | Press release
Toluna, a global leader in consumer insights and market research technology, today announces a planned leadership transition. After 25 years leading the company he founded, Frédéric Charles Petit, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, intends to transition from his role as CEO following the appointment of his successor as part of a carefully planned succession process designed to ensure continuity for clients, employees and partners. Following the transition, Mr. Petit will continue to serve on Toluna's Board of Directors, will remain a significant shareholder of the company, and will take on an ongoing strategic advisory role for areas central to Toluna's next phase of growth. The Board, in close consultation with Mr. Petit, has initiated a structured succession process. A comprehensive transition plan is in place, including a defined handover with Mr. Petit, to ensure continuity for the company’s clients, employees, and partners. The Board expects to confirm the appointment of the com
CSC Wins for Threat Intelligence Innovation in 2026 CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards8.10.2026 17:00:00 EEST | Press release
CSC, an enterprise-class domain registrar and world leader in detecting and mitigating brand, fraud, domain, and Domain Name System (DNS) threat vectors, today announced that its 3D Domain Security and Global Enforcement solution won for Threat Intelligence Innovation in the 10th annual CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards. The awards recognize the most innovative companies, products, and technologies driving progress in the global information security industry. CSC’s 3D Domain Security and Global Enforcement solution for the enterprise domain ecosystem combines advanced AI machine learning technology, proprietary domain threat intelligence, expert analysis, and integrated global enforcement. With this technology, organizations can detect, understand, and act on external cyber threats targeting their brand online across social media, search engines, email, and e-commerce websites. By uncovering high-risk domains and providing a multidimensional view of threat vectors outside the firewall
Stonebranch Launches Hybrid Orchestration Control Plane to Provide Governed Reliability in the Agentic Era8.10.2026 16:00:00 EEST | Press release
Stonebranch, a leading provider of service orchestration and automation solutions, today announced the Hybrid Orchestration Control Plane, a new solution powered by Stonebranch Universal Automation Center™ (UAC) version 8.1. It lets enterprises run traditional automation, AI tasks, autonomous agents, and human decisions as one end-to-end workflow, with consistent permissions, approvals, service levels, audit trails, and recovery controls. Agents are spreading across the enterprise, but they act without the operational context around each decision: prior approvals, downstream dependencies, and recovery. Alone, they become another disconnected execution environment, with separate controls, fragmented visibility, and custom plumbing. The Hybrid Orchestration Control Plane connects them to existing automation in one governed process: agents reason and request, while governed workflows control execution. "Every enterprise will use AI agents. The question is whether those agents can be trust
INNIO and Aggreko Extend Strategic Partnership Through 2031, Securing Long-Term Engine Capacity to Meet Growing Global Power Demand8.10.2026 15:37:00 EEST | Press release
INNIO N.V. (Nasdaq: INIO) today announced a substantial extension of its long-standing strategic partnership with Aggreko, a global leader in engineered energy and temperature solutions. The extended agreement, now running through 2031, secures substantial long-term engine capacity for Aggreko while providing INNIO with additional order visibility for medium-power range engines. “Global power demand is rising rapidly, while grid constraints are growing. Together with Aggreko, we are delivering reliable, efficient, and sustainable power solutions that help bridge these gaps and keep customers moving,” said Dr. Olaf Berlien, President and CEO of INNIO. “This agreement secures proven technology and capacity to deliver reliable power wherever and whenever our customers need it,” said Sunny Thakrar, Commercial Director of Aggreko. Under the agreement, INNIO has agreed to provide a minimum of 450 MW of engine capacity in the medium-power range (Jenbacher Type 4) in 2027 and access to agreed
Bacardi Climbs to #32 Among the World’s Top Companies for Women8.10.2026 15:11:00 EEST | Press release
Bacardi Limited has climbed to #32 on the Forbes list of the World’s Top Companies for Women 2026, rising from #60 the previous year and earning a place on the prestigious global ranking for the fifth consecutive year. The family-owned company is the highest-ranked spirits company on this year’s list and ranks #2 in the “Food, Soft Beverages, Alcohol & Tobacco” category. The recognition reflects a continued commitment to creating opportunities, championing career development and cultivating a workplace where people feel valued, empowered and able to do their best work. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261008127263/en/ Bacardi celebrates being the highest-ranked spirits company in the Forbes World's Top Companies for Women 2026. “The most meaningful measure of our progress is seeing talented women choose to join Bacardi, build their careers here and advance into leadership roles,” says Nicole Zukowski, Chief Sup
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom