Pioneering a new approach to safer immune stimulation
Technology
Improving Immunotherapy Across Indications
Our pipeline centers two first-in-class small molecules, alintegimod and 7HP935, for a risk-diversified range of oncology and hematology indications.
CPRIT is the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas NIH is the US National Institutes of Health
Adapted from Chen and Mellman, Immunology 2013
7HP-111 Clinical Trial - now enrolling
7HP-111 is a Phase Ib/IIa clinical trial evaluating the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of alintegimod, a first-in-class integrin agonist, in combination with sequential dual PD-1/CTLA-4 checkpoint blockade in patients with advanced solid tumors, including aPD-1-resistant tumors. For more information, please visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06362369.
Alintegimod
Alintegimod (previously known as 7HP349) is an orally-delivered small molecule designed to be used in combination with immune checkpoint blockade to overcome aPD-1 resistance. Alintegimod selectively activates the integrins LFA-1 and VLA-4, immune cell adhesion molecules comprising rate-limiting steps in: 1) T cell recruitment and homing to the tumor, 2) antigen presentation, 3) T cell activation and proliferation, 4) homing of activated T cells to the tumor, and 5) stabilization of the killing synapse between activated T cells and tumor cells.
By improving cell adhesion at each of these key steps in the cancer immunity cycle, alintegimod may improve the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors and their combinations (e.g., aCTLA-4 plus aPD-1 therapy) against a variety of immunologically "cold" solid tumor types resistant to aPD-1 therapy.
Alintegimod has shown single agent activity as well as synergy with dual checkpoint blockade in a variety of mouse models. 7 Hills completed a Phase I clinical trial on alintegimod in 2021, demonstrating monotherapy safety, oral bioavailability, and defining a Phase II dose range to support subsequent clinical work.
Supported by over $17 million in state and federal grant awards, the company is currently executing a Phase Ib/IIa clinical trial testing alintegimod in combination with sequential dual checkpoint blockade to treat patients with aPD-1-resistant solid tumors.
7HP935
7HP935 is a first-in-class small molecule that selectively activates the integrin VLA-4, a cell adhesion molecule essential to the homing and engraftment of transplanted hematopoietic stem cells into the bone marrow niche. Used in combination with hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), 7HP935 may be able to decrease the duration from transplant to stem cell engraftment, lowering the risk of deadly complications during recovery and cutting overall treatment costs.
In the field of hematological malignancies, HSCT can be curative for a variety of indications. However, up to 10% of transplant patients will experience graft failure. These patients have already undergone myeloablation and face high risk of death without an immediate replacement graft.
Additionally, the transplant space is rife with racial disparities, with patients of ethnic minority descent facing a significantly higher risk of not finding a matched donor.
For both of these populations, 7HP935 in combination with a readily available umbilical cord blood transplant may represent a new, potentially curative therapy offering a potentially market-beating combination of safety, efficacy, and value.
Finally, CRISPR-based solutions for genetic disorders of the bone marrow use HSCT to implant the gene-edited stem cells. 7HP935 may offer an aligned partner a durable competitive advantage in the CRISPR marketplace.