CellAct Pharma GMBH
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
CellAct Pharma GMBH is developing drug candidates for cancer and immune-modulated inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease and transplant rejection. Its lead compound targets topoisomerases and is in clinical Phase I study for the treatment of cancer. The company is also developing antibodies against surface molecules in lymphocytes to treat inflammation.
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Start-Up Previews (11/2009)
A preview of the emerging health care companies profiled in the current issue of Start-Up. This month's profile group, "Inflammation: A Hot Space Gets Complicated," features profiles of CellAct Pharma, Kineta and Lycera. Plus these Start-Ups Across Health Care: BioLeap, Integrated Diagnostics, Nightingale-EOS, SBIO, Spirus Medical and Varix Medical.
Kineta Inc.
Kineta Inc. is working an array of novel Kv1.3 potassium channel blockers derived from the venom of the Caribbean sea anemone. They are designed to suppress activation of effector memory T-cells, which are mediators of inflammation and tissue damage in multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes mellitus and other autoimmune diseases. Kineta's studies indicate that the company's lead compound appears to inhibit only the effector memory T-cells and leave other immune functions unperturbed.
Lycera Corp.
Lycera Corp. develops small-molecule immunomodulators. Its lead benzodiazapene-based compounds have shown efficacy in animal models of lupus, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and transplant rejection. Lycera also recently acquired a program targeting the TH17 pathway, which controls production of IL-17, a pro-inflammatory cytokine increasingly considered critical to inflammation and autoimmune disease.