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
Quectel Expands 5G Antenna Portfolio With Ten Versatile Combo Solutions, From Compact 2-In-1 to Rugged 9-In-1 Designs11.11.2026 11:00:00 EET | Press release
Quectel Wireless Solutions, a global IoT solutions provider, today announces ten external combo antennas that combine 5G with GNSS, Wi-Fi or both in a single housing. Instead of specifying, fitting and testing a separate antenna for each radio, device makers can choose one unit matched to the size, technology mix and operating environment of their deployment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261111461614/en/ Quectel expands 5G antenna portfolio with ten versatile combo solutions, from compact 2-in-1 to rugged 9-in-1 designs Across the family, each antenna combines multiple omnidirectional elements with high isolation between them to limit self-interference. Most models cover 5G from 600MHz to 6000MHz and remain backward compatible with 4G, 3G, 2G, LTE Cat-M and NB-IoT networks. All support screw mounting, some also adhesive mounting, and housings are built for outdoor use with ratings from IP65 up to IP69K. “Ev
Quectel SP900BF-AP Smart Module Sets the Pace for Edge AI with 100 TOPS of Computing Power11.11.2026 11:00:00 EET | Press release
Quectel Wireless Solutions, a global end-to-end IoT solutions provider, today announced the SP900BF-AP, a smart module that lets robots, inspection systems and edge gateways run large AI models on the device itself. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261111252890/en/ Quectel SP900BF-AP smart module sets the pace for Edge AI with 100 TOPS of computing power Built on the Qualcomm Dragonwing™ IQ-9075 Processor and delivering up to 100 TOPS of on-device AI compute, the module enables industrial OEMs to integrate advanced AI directly into their products, reducing latency, bandwidth costs and data privacy risks associated with cloud-based processing. By processing data locally, manufacturers can support real-time robotics, automated inspection and other demanding industrial applications while retaining greater control over sensitive production data. Long-term hardware availability also helps meet the extended product l
Lattice and NXP Deliver Flexible, Secure Computing Solution for the Industrial Edge10.11.2026 23:00:00 EET | Press release
Lattice Semiconductor (NASDAQ: LSCC), the low power programmable and platform firmware leader, today announced the Lattice NXP PCIe® Companion solution, jointly enabled and promoted with NXP® Semiconductors. Pairing NXP’s i.MX 95 applications processor with Lattice Nexus™-based FPGAs over PCIe, the solution addresses the real-time connectivity, deterministic I/O, and security challenges in industrial automation, robotics, and intelligent edge applications. The joint solution is available in Lattice CertusPro™-NX or Lattice Certus™-NX configurations as companion chips to NXP i.MX 95 SoC compute processors, deepening a long-standing collaboration between Lattice and NXP spanning industrial, data center, and networking applications. The Lattice FPGA adds low latency, deterministic I/O alongside the NXP applications processor, delivering combined capabilities across real-time processing, AI, and custom I/O to help customers modernize aging designs for new interface standards. It supports e
FDA Approves PIMJETMI ® (pimicotinib) for Patients with Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumor10.11.2026 20:14:00 EET | Press release
Merck, a leading science and technology company, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved PIMJETMI® (pimicotinib), a once-daily oral colony stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R) inhibitor, as a systemic treatment for adults with symptomatic tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT) for which surgical resection may cause worsening functional limitation or severe morbidity. “People living with TGCT have long faced difficult treatment decisions as they navigate a disease that can significantly affect their daily lives including their mobility,” said Danny Bar-Zohar, CEO Healthcare and Member of the Executive Board for the Healthcare business of Merck. “Translating scientific innovation into clinically meaningful advances for people living with rare tumors is a strategic imperative for our company, as we continue our commitment to addressing significant unmet needs. With the approval of PIMJETMI in the U.S., we strengthen our leadership position and growing
Smartsheet Integrates With Claude Sheets, Making It Easy to Start Projects in Claude and Launch Workflows Across Teams with Smartsheet10.11.2026 19:57:00 EET | Press release
Smartsheet, the AI-powered enterprise work management platform, today announced a new integration with Claude Sheets, the new spreadsheet artifact in Claude from Anthropic, now in beta. With the new Send to Smartsheet feature, people who build a tracker or plan in Claude can move it into Smartsheet in a few clicks. There they can put it to work with their team, connected to the plans, projects, people and systems their organization already runs on. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261110763156/en/ With the new Send to Smartsheet feature, people who build a tracker or plan in Claude can move it into Smartsheet in a few clicks. More and more work now begins in a conversation with Claude, and the Smartsheet MCP connector for Claude puts the entire power of the Smartsheet platform into play for users. Now with Claude Sheets, a person can think through a launch plan, a project tracker or a budget, and shape with the
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