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
OdysseyRe Announces New Co-Chief Underwriting Officers for EMEA18.5.2026 10:00:00 EEST | Press release
Odyssey Reinsurance Company (OdysseyRe) today announced the appointments of Tegwen Gromellon and Anne-Claire Serres as co-chief underwriting officers of its EMEA division, effective July 1. They succeed longtime Chief Underwriting Officer, Gaël Le Païh, who is retiring later this year following 36 years with the Company. Based in Paris, Serres joined OdysseyRe in 2018 as the market director for France and will lead the division’s business across France, Africa and the Middle East. Gromellon, who joined OdysseyRe in 2004, has served as market director for Germany, Austria, Benelux and Switzerland since 2019. He will take the lead for the rest of Europe, including the relationship with the Company’s representative office in Stockholm for the Nordic markets and across Turkey. “We are delighted to appoint both Tegwen and Anne-Claire to these important leadership positions,” said Isabelle Dubots-Lafitte, chief executive officer of EMEA for OdysseyRe. “These appointments recognize their sign
Prokarium Reports Positive Interim Data from Phase 1/1b PARADIGM-1 trial of ZH9 in NMIBC patients, Demonstrating Excellent Safety and Encouraging Early Efficacy18.5.2026 10:00:00 EEST | Press release
Prokarium, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering bacterial immunotherapies for the treatment of solid tumours, today announced safety and antitumour efficacy results from an interim review of the ongoing Phase 1/1b PARADIGM-1 trial of ZH9 in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) patients. These data were shared via an oral podium presentation at the American Urology Association (AUA26) Annual Meeting. Prokarium CMO, Dr Josefin-Beate Holz said “These data demonstrate ZH9 as a universally applicable treatment for patients. As the treatment is very well tolerated and is showing impactful outcomes for early and BCG-non-responsive patients alike, it opens up the potential for ZH9 to be a transformative bladder saving treatment.” "There is a clear and urgent need to move beyond BCG. The current treatment burden—requiring up to 18 catheterisations in the first year— detrimentally impacts real-world compliance and patient outcomes," said Ibs Mahmood, CEO of Prokarium. "Pat
Arboris Capital Selects ROYC to Expand Private Markets Capabilities on CapGain Platform18.5.2026 10:00:00 EEST | Press release
Arboris Capital Limited (“Arboris”), a DIFC-based firm arranging alternative investments, authorised by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), today announced that it has selected ROYC AB (“ROYC”), a private markets technology and infrastructure provider, to support the continued development of its private markets offering through its platform, CapGain. In its ongoing efforts to expand its private markets capabilities across the Middle East, Arboris has undertaken a strategic review of how to further scale its offering while maintaining the integrity of its existing platform. As a result, Arboris has chosen to integrate ROYC’s fund access, sourcing, and structuring capabilities into CapGain, complementing its existing infrastructure. CapGain is Arboris’s proprietary investment platform, purpose-built to facilitate access between international private market opportunities and Professional Investors in the region. CapGain provides fully digital investor onboarding and KYC, a secu
LogicMonitor and Deutsche Telekom Expand Partnership Across Europe18.5.2026 10:00:00 EEST | Press release
LogicMonitor®, the AI-first platform for Autonomous IT, today announced the expanded availability of its platform within Deutsche Telekom’s managed services portfolio across selected European markets, including DACH, Benelux, and the Nordics. The expansion builds on operational use of LogicMonitor in the United Kingdom since 2023, where it has supported Deutsche Telekom’s service teams in improving visibility across network, cloud, and hybrid infrastructure environments. Experience gained from these deployments is now informing broader service enablement across additional European markets. As enterprise IT environments grow more complex, organisations require more than visibility—they need predictive resilience. Through defined use cases, LogicMonitor complements Deutsche Telekom’s existing service management, monitoring, and security tooling, helping teams anticipate, detect, and resolve issues before they impact business operations. In the United Kingdom, the partnership has delivere
VahatiCor Appoints Harry D. Rowland, Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer18.5.2026 09:00:00 EEST | Press release
VahatiCor, Inc., a medtech company developing interventional therapies for Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction (CMD), announced today the appointment of Harry D. Rowland, Ph.D., as Chief Executive Officer. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260517830314/en/ VahatiCor CEO, Harry D. Rowland, Ph.D. Rowland previously served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Endotronix, where he led the development and commercialization of the Cordella™ Pulmonary Artery Sensor and Heart Failure System. Under his leadership, Endotronix raised over $150 million and grew to more than 150 employees. He also oversaw the PROACTIVE-HF pivotal trial from execution through FDA premarket approval and commercial launch. Following its acquisition by Edwards Lifesciences in 2024, Rowland stayed on to support key CMS national coverage and CE Mark milestones. "Harry has led a medical company through this arc before. He took Endotronix from
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