InduPro Doses First Patient in Phase 1 Trial of Proximity-Based Bispecific ADC IDP-001, Closes $77M Series B
核心洞察
InduPro closed a $77 million Series B financing led by The Column Group (搜索), with participation from Vida Ventures, MRL Ventures Fund, Sanofi, and Eli Lilly and Company.
The company dosed the first patient in a Phase 1 study (NCT07602842) of IDP-001, its lead oncology program.
IDP-001 is a potential first-in-class, proximity-based bispecific antibody-drug conjugate targeting EGFR (搜索) and TAPA-E1 (搜索), a novel Tumor-Associated Proximity Antigen.
InduPro, Inc. (搜索), a biotechnology company defining membrane protein spatial relationships to create novel therapeutics for cancer and autoimmune diseases, announced the closing of a $77 million Series B financing and the dosing of the first patient in the Phase 1 clinical study of IDP-001, the company's lead oncology program.
The financing was led by The Column Group (搜索), with participation from existing investors Vida Ventures, MRL Ventures Fund (the therapeutics-focused venture fund of Merck & Co., Inc.), Emerson Collective (advised by Yosemite), and Euclidean Capital, as well as new investors Solasta Ventures, Sanofi, and Eli Lilly and Company. Proceeds will support Phase 1 clinical development and generation of early proof-of-concept data for IDP-001, as well as advancement of InduPro's broader preclinical pipeline.
"We are delighted to have the support of this outstanding group of life sciences investors and strategic partners who recognize the potential of our proximity-guided platform to create precision therapeutics in oncology and autoimmune disease," said Prakash Raman, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of InduPro. "With IDP-001 now in the clinic, our focus is on disciplined clinical execution. I am pleased with how effectively our team has advanced the program and encouraged by the strong early interest from principal investigators and clinical sites as we expand the study."
A Proximity-Based Bispecific ADC
IDP-001 is a potential first-in-class, proximity-based bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting EGFR (搜索) and TAPA-E1 (搜索), a novel Tumor-Associated Proximity Antigen (TAPA). EGFR is a well-validated oncogenic target that is overexpressed across many solid tumors, but the challenge of balancing EGFR-directed toxicity while maintaining meaningful antitumor activity has thus far limited the impact of ADC therapeutics targeting EGFR. Dual targeting of EGFR and TAPA-E1 is designed to enhance tumor selectivity, target internalization, and antitumor efficacy without sacrificing tolerability, with the goal of expanding the therapeutic potential of targeting EGFR.
IDP-001 was designed using InduPro's proximity-guided platform, which maps the spatial organization of proteins on the cell surface and can be used to select novel bispecific pairings based upon underlying disease biology. The targets for the bispecific ADC were selected based not only on their shared biology across squamous tumors, but also on their proximity on the surface of cancer cells — a spatial relationship not found in normal tissue.
Addressing an Unmet Need in Squamous Cancers
Many of the precision oncology advances that have transformed the treatment of other solid tumors have had limited applicability in squamous cancers, in part because actionable driver mutations or the cell-surface targets associated with approved ADCs are less common in squamous tumors. This underscores the need for new therapeutic approaches built around biology shared across squamous malignancies, with the ability to expand the reach of effective ADC therapies beyond the current limitations of histology or selected genetic biomarkers.
"Treatment options for squamous cancers have not kept pace with advances in other solid tumors," said Amanda J. Redig, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of InduPro. "IDP-001 was designed to help address this gap by harnessing the power of biological proximity. The targets for our bispecific ADC were selected based not only on their shared biology across squamous tumors, but also on their proximity on the surface of cancer cells, a spatial relationship not found in normal tissue. We believe this differentiated biology may enable IDP-001 to drive meaningful clinical activity with a wider therapeutic window across a range of squamous and selected non-squamous solid tumors (搜索). Our goal now is to determine whether IDP-001 can translate that potential into improved outcomes for patients who currently have too few treatment options."
Phase 1 Study Design
The open-label, first-in-human study (NCT07602842) is evaluating the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and preliminary antitumor activity of IDP-001 as monotherapy in adults with advanced or metastatic squamous or non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (搜索) (NSCLC) and other squamous solid tumors (搜索) with disease progression following standard-of-care treatment.
The Proximity-Guided Platform
InduPro therapeutically targets cell-surface proteins in a variety of disease contexts by leveraging inherent or induced protein proximity. Through precise mapping of protein neighborhoods using its proprietary, high-resolution proximity labeling technology, the company is discovering novel co-target pairs that are highly selective for specific disease biology. Identifying and then validating these unique proximity-based pairings provides a novel approach for developing precision therapeutics to target the cellular signaling pathways that are critical for shaping disease.
"InduPro's induced-proximity platform has opened a window into cell-surface biology by mapping protein neighborhoods overlooked by conventional target-discovery approaches. The team is using those insights as a powerful engine for discovering selective co-target pairs and building a compelling pipeline," said Sarah Hymowitz, Ph.D., Partner at The Column Group (搜索) and InduPro Board Chair. "Our ongoing support for InduPro reflects our conviction in the team's platform, their deep expertise and demonstrated execution, and their strategic agreements with pharma partners to develop more selective and effective medicines."
InduPro develops therapeutics against novel, tumor-selective proximity antigens and co-target pairs using bispecific antibodies, including ADCs and T-cell engagers (TCEs), fueling a pipeline of first- and best-in-class programs across cancer and autoimmune diseases.