Ouro Medicines, a new biotechnology startup, has launched with $120 million in funding to develop innovative antibody drugs for chronic inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. The company aims to leverage T cell engagers to rebalance the immune systems of individuals with autoimmune diseases, potentially offering a new approach to treatment.
Ouro's lead prospect, OM336, is licensed from China-based Keymed Biosciences and targets B cell maturation antigen (BCMA). Keymed has been testing OM336 in a Phase 2 trial in multiple myeloma. Ouro plans to initiate Phase 1 trials in multiple autoimmune conditions in 2025. The company believes OM336 holds promise for various B cell-mediated diseases, including lupus, scleroderma, and rheumatoid arthritis.
T Cell Engagers: A Novel Approach
T cell engagers are dual-targeting antibody drugs designed to eliminate B cells, similar to cell therapies, but with advantages in manufacturing and administration. They do not require chemotherapy conditioning and can be administered via infusion multiple times. Early case reports and clinical data suggest this approach holds promise in autoimmune disease.
Jaideep Dudani, CEO of Ouro Medicines, stated, "This could be potentially just a completely new way to treat autoimmune patients. Practice of medicine could fundamentally change with these types of therapies."
Targeting B Cell Biology
Ouro intends to advance a broad set of discovery programs targeting additional dimensions of B cell biology, probing unique subsets of B cells compared to existing therapies. The company's protein engineering expertise is being applied to next-generation versions of novel TCEs to continue to drive innovative treatments for chronic immune-mediated diseases.
Leadership and Vision
Founded by Monograph Capital and GSK, with backing from NEA and TPG Life Sciences Innovations, Ouro has assembled a leadership team with expertise in relevant diseases and modalities. The company's leadership includes Jaideep Dudani, PhD, Chief Executive Officer; Neely Mozaffarian, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer; Christina Carlson, JD, Chief Administrative Officer; and Kevin P. Baker, PhD, Chief Development Officer.
Tim Funnell, DPhil, Member of the Ouro Medicines Board of Directors and Partner at Monograph Capital, said, "We started Ouro with an intention of building a discovery platform to unlock immune reset therapeutics, and we have been excited to accelerate the company's development by bringing in OM336, which we believe has great promise based on the preclinical profile and clinical data we've seen in oncology."
The Promise of Immune Reset
Ouro's approach focuses on leveraging T cell engagers in B cell-mediated diseases to achieve immune resets that create durable remissions without ongoing immunosuppression. The company believes that precisely targeting cell populations with a high-potency therapeutic is crucial to depleting whole lineages of pathogenic cell populations.
Dudani added, "If we can prove OM336 can put people into remission without the need for ongoing immunosuppression, there will be an appetite for additional investment."
