Putting macrophages in feast mode

Macrophages are first responders of the innate immune system able to detect, “eat,” and kill cancer cells through phagocytosis. Macrophages readily infiltrate most solid tumors and are widely present in the tumor microenvironment.
But cancer cells hide from macrophages by expressing checkpoint or “don’t eat me” signals to avoid phagocytosis. At Pheast Therapeutics, we are developing new innate immune checkpoint inhibitors, including anti-CD24, to unleash the power of macrophages on aggressive cancers.

More than
one way to
More than one way to
train macrophages
train macrophages

Putting macrophages in feast mode

Macrophages are first responders of the innate immune system able to detect, “eat,” and kill cancer cells through phagocytosis. Macrophages readily infiltrate most solid tumors and are widely present in the tumor microenvironment.
But cancer cells hide from macrophages by expressing checkpoint or “don’t eat me” signals to avoid phagocytosis. At Pheast Therapeutics, we are developing new innate immune checkpoint inhibitors, including anti-CD24, to unleash the power of macrophages on aggressive cancers.

The first CD24 macrophage checkpoint inhibitor

At Pheast, we discovered an entirely new “don’t eat me” signal when we observed that CD24 is highly expressed in ovarian and breast cancers (Nature 2019). By blocking CD24 in a preclinical model of triple-negative breast cancer, we saw that macrophages efficiently targeted and eliminated cancer cells leading to tumor clearance over time. We are currently advancing novel anti-CD24 antibodies in preclinical development as our lead program.

A moveable feast

Pheast’s proprietary discovery platform uncovers “don’t eat me” signals in different cancers to create novel, tumor-specific, macrophage-targeted immunotherapies. We are developing clinical biomarker strategies to advance macrophage checkpoint inhibitors alone and in combination with existing anti-cancer therapies including immunotherapies, tumor-targeting antibodies, and chemotherapies.

The Next Generation

Pheast Therapeutics is led by the scientists who made the foundational discoveries and experts in the field of cancer immunotherapy and innate immunity with the knowledge and experience to bring innovative new therapies to the clinic. Together, the team at Pheast is devoted to expanding the landscape of next generation innate immunotherapies for patients with aggressive cancers who need better treatment options.

Recent News

December 2, 2024

The Bio Report Podcast: Getting Tumors to Say “Eat Me”

Read Article
November 8, 2024

The Cancer Letter: Preclinical Data Show Anti-CD24 Macrophage Checkpoint Inhibitor Promotes Phagocytosis and Shrinks Tumors

Read Article
November 7, 2024

Pheast Presents New Preclinical Data for PHST001, an Anti-CD24 Macrophage Checkpoint Inhibitor, at SITC 2024

Read Article
November 6, 2024

GEN: Parallel Platform Approach Slashes Process Development Time

Read Article
September 3, 2024

Drug Discovery Online: Does Targeting Macrophages Hold The Key For Treating Cancer?

Read Article