AltruBio

Our lead inflammation drug candidate, Neihulizumab (ALTB-168), is an immune checkpoint agonist antibody targeting PSGL-1/CD162. It has demonstrated proof-of-concept clinical efficacy in psoriasis as well as psoriatic arthritis, both of which are established T cell mediated diseases, and is currently being studied for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (phase II) and steroid refractory-acute GvHD (phase I).

Neihulizumab’s (ALTB-168) unique mechanism of action provides a natural regulation of T cell homeostasis that induces cell death preferentially in late-stage activated T cells without affecting resting T cells and early-activated T cells. Because pathogenic T cells underlying the inflammatory conditions are usually in late-stage (chronically) activated state, eliminating this population of cells can potentially result in controlling autoimmune inflammation associated with T cell associated diseases, such as psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes and GvHD. Treatment with ALTB-168 could result in durable and long-term responses as the therapy is designed to eliminate the pathogenic T cells underlying these inflammatory conditions rather than simply inhibit them. In addition, since resting T cells are not affected, normal immune defenses are not impacted.

Neihulizumab (ALTB-168) has demonstrated signs of clinical efficacy in Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis, both of which are T-cell mediated diseases, and is being studied for the treatment of Ulcerative Colitis (phase II, NCT03298022) and steroid refractory-acute GvHD (phase I, NCT03327857).