CIT Therapeutics has announced a strategic partnership with the Institute for Follicular Lymphoma Innovation (IFLI) that will provide up to $2.5 million in funding to advance the company's novel SUMOylation-targeted cancer therapy into clinical trials. The collaboration focuses on developing treatments for follicular lymphoma and other blood cancers through CIT's innovative small molecule approach.
Novel SUMOylation-Targeted Mechanism
CIT is advancing SB-4826, a first-in-class, orally bioavailable small molecule that selectively inhibits the SUMO E1 enzyme through an allosteric covalent mechanism. This novel therapeutic approach has demonstrated high specificity in proteome-wide analyses and offers a promising strategy to both kill cancer cells and stimulate the immune system.
"Inhibiting SUMOylation can reprogram tumor microenvironments, sensitize tumors to chemo and radiotherapy, and suppress oncogenic signaling," said Michel Azoulay, MD, Chief Medical Officer of IFLI. "This partnership represents a significant step forward in bringing SUMOylation-targeted therapies to the clinic."
Clinical Development Plans
The IFLI investment will support CIT's upcoming Phase 1/1b clinical trial of SB-4826 in patients with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, including those with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma. This represents a critical milestone for the company's clinical development program targeting novel biological mechanisms in cancer treatment.
"Our vision is to transform cancer care by developing therapies that target novel biological mechanisms, which aligns with that of IFLI," said Yuan Chen, PhD, Founder and CEO of CIT Therapeutics and Professor and Chief in the Division of Surgical Sciences and Professor in the Division Surgical Oncology in the Department of Surgery at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and Moores Cancer Center.
IFLI's Strategic Investment Portfolio
The partnership with CIT Therapeutics is part of IFLI's broader 2025 strategy to support innovative treatment development for follicular lymphoma. The foundation has launched multiple strategic collaborations this year, including support for NanoCell Therapeutics' NCTX-01 dual CAR T-cell therapy targeting CD19/CD22 for aggressive B-cell malignancies.
In May, IFLI's collaboration with PeproMene Bio achieved a significant milestone when the first patient with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma treated in the PMB-102 trial of PMB-CT01 (BAFF-R CAR T cells) achieved complete remission. Additionally, IFLI partnered with Tempus in February to develop a de-identified, multimodal real-world data library focused on high-risk follicular lymphoma patients.
Foundation's Mission and Impact
"We are pleased to collaborate with CIT in their mission to improve outcomes for patients with follicular lymphoma," said Dave McCullagh, Managing Director of IFLI. The partnership underscores IFLI's commitment to accelerating the development of transformative therapies for follicular lymphoma and related blood cancers.
IFLI operates as a global, non-profit, private foundation dedicated to accelerating the development of innovative treatment options for patients with follicular lymphoma. The foundation deploys its budget across grants, project-based partnerships, and venture philanthropic investments to achieve its innovation goals while promoting collaboration and enabling data sharing among researchers and institutions advancing follicular lymphoma research.
