Grey Wolf Therapeutics, a drug discovery biotechnology company focused on developing first-in-class therapies for immuno- oncology (IO), has completed a £2.5 million ($3.3 million) Series A2 financing round with existing healthcare investors Andera Partners and Canaan.
The new funding will allow the company to accelerate development of therapies targeting endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 2 (ERAP2), following many positive signals of its potential. Funds will also be used to continue to drive the lead endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 1 (ERAP1) modulator program.
Both of Grey Wolf’s novel ERAP approaches are aimed at directly altering tumour cells, illuminating them for attack and destruction by the immune system. The goal is to exploit this increased tumour visibility in monotherapy and to extend the therapeutic benefit of already approved immunotherapies to many more cancers. The company is developing small molecule modulators of ERAP1 and ERAP2, two key proteins in the antigen presentation pathway, to change the antigen repertoire of tumours and thereby increase the number and range of cancer-related antigens, including neoantigens, presented on tumour cells available to engage an immune response. Grey Wolf is expanding efforts around ERAP2 for two reasons. First, clinical data continues to demonstrate that tumours which are more visible to the immune system show improved responses to checkpoint inhibitors. Second, the company has developed unique insight into the targeting of the ERAP enzymes through the lead program ERAP1 and validated the role for ERAP inhibition in modulating the cancer-related antigen repertoire.
“We have continued to generate data showing that modulation of both ERAP pathways drives change to the cancer-related antigen repertoire,” said Tom McCarthy, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Grey Wolf Therapeutics. “Data clearly demonstrates that modulation of ERAP2 drives an altogether different change to the antigen repertoire, when compared with ERAP1 modulation, due to ERAP2’s clearly differentiated peptide substrate specificities. With this investment and the prior knowledge base within Grey Wolf we will be able to accelerate the ERAP2 program quickly through optimization, building on our leading position in ERAP disease-related biology.”