Io Therapeutics to present data on IRX5010's anti-cancer immune response induction in various cancers

SPRING, Texas, July 08, 2024 – Io Therapeutics Inc. has unveiled promising results from their latest cancer research on IRX5010, a novel anti-cancer compound. This announcement was made during the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Seventh International Conference on Retinoids in St. Paul, Minnesota. The findings were presented by Vidyasagar Vuligonda, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer and inventor of IRX5010, along with Martin E. Sanders, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Io Therapeutics.

The studies revealed that oral administration of IRX5010 led to significant suppression of tumor growth in mouse models of five major types of human cancers: triple negative breast cancer, Her-2 positive breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer. In every model, the use of IRX5010 resulted in the induction of tumor-infiltrating effector memory T-lymphocytes, which are associated with reduced tumor growth.

Interestingly, IRX5010 did not show direct toxicity to cancer cells in laboratory tissue cultures. This suggests that the compound's efficacy stems from its ability to stimulate cancer-suppressive T-lymphocytes, rather than killing cancer cells directly. This mechanism of action is drawing significant interest in the pharmaceutical industry, which is actively seeking orally administered drugs that can induce these tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes.

Dr. Vuligonda elaborated on the potential impact of these findings, highlighting that IRX5010 could improve treatment outcomes for various serious cancers, either as a standalone therapy or in combination with other treatments, such as biological checkpoint inhibitors. These inhibitors also work by inducing anti-cancer TIL responses. Io Therapeutics is currently conducting preclinical combination studies of IRX5010 and other agents, with plans to advance IRX5010 into clinical trials for multiple cancer types.

Dr. Sanders expressed optimism about the potential of IRX5010 as an oral immunotherapeutic for a variety of cancers that are currently inadequately treated. He also mentioned that beyond IRX5010, Io Therapeutics has developed several other compounds targeting different retinoic acid nuclear receptors. These new compounds are being explored as potential treatments for cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, and autoimmune disorders.

Io Therapeutics, Inc., is a privately held company based in Spring, Texas. The company is focused on developing innovative treatments for cancer and other serious diseases.