Ardan Pharma is an academic spin off company, investigating one guilty molecule of checkpoint immunotherapy resistance: TMEM176B (also called TORID), an emerging oncology target, whose overexpression has been associated with poor survival in various types of cancer. We want to enable cancer patients to get the utmost clinical benefit of current immunotherapies by developing small molecules that inhibit TORID and control inflammasome activation. Our in vivo PoC increased the efficacy of checkpoint blockers by 40% in colon, lung cancer, and metastatic melanoma preclinical models, while we are working among other indications too. Our team has characterized the underlying mechanism of action as an inflammasome modulation approach. This alternative to T-cell centered technologies may enable synergic and complementary antitumoral responses to overcome therapeutic resistance.
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