Biotech company Ikena Oncology has announced that it will participate in the Stifel 2023 Virtual Targeted Oncology Days conference, scheduled to be held on April 25-26. CEO Mark Manfredi, Ph.D. will present the company’s pipeline of targeted oncology programs, including IK-930, a novel Hippo pathway inhibitor that selectively binds and inhibits TEAD1, at the conference. The program is a TEAD inhibitor that targets the Hippo signaling pathway, a tumor suppressor pathway that also drives resistance to multiple targeted therapies. It is one of several targets being studied by the company. Additionally, Ikena has been collaborating with Bristol Myers Squibb on IK-175, an AHR antagonist, which is being used to develop a novel MEK-RAF inhibitor called IK-595.
The conference will likely provide an opportunity for the company to reach out to potential investors and update the medical community on its latest developments. Ikena’s programs are focused on developing differentiated therapies for patients in need that target nodes of cancer growth, spread, and therapeutic resistance in the Hippo and RAS onco-signaling network. The company aims to utilize its institutional knowledge and breadth of tools to efficiently develop the right drug using the right modality for the right patient.
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Ikena’s targeted oncology program IK-930 has shown positive results in preclinical trials. It is a paralog-selective TEAD inhibitor that aims to address the Hippo signaling pathway, which is a known tumor suppressor pathway that also drives resistance to multiple targeted therapies. The novel TEAD inhibitor is intended to selectively bind and inhibit TEAD1, thus blocking its interaction with transcriptional activators such as Yap and Taz that are often activated in cancer to promote cell proliferation and suppress apoptosis.
During the conference, Ikena also plans to provide an overview of its ongoing drug development programs in the RAS signaling pathway. Specifically, the company is developing a novel MEK-RAF inhibitor called IK-595 to target the RAS signaling pathway. The program targets both MEK and RAF and is differentiated from other inhibitors in the same category by its selectivity for RAS-driven cancers, which account for approximately one-third of all cancers.
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According to the CEO of Ikena Oncology, the company’s pipeline holds great promise and is expected to provide a range of new treatment options for cancer patients. With the support of its institutional knowledge and innovative research, the company hopes to be at the forefront of the fight against cancer in the years to come. The investment community and medical professionals will no doubt be looking forward to hearing the latest updates on Ikena’s targeted oncology programs during the upcoming conference.
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