Linnaeus Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel small-molecule oncology therapeutics, announced in June that the FDA had granted it Fast Track designation for its lead drug candidate LNS8801 for the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma. The phase 1/2 clinical trials began in November 2019, and Phase I is anticipated to be completed shortly. Further, the company announced a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Merck to test LNS8801 in combination with Merck’s blockbuster oncology drug, pembrolizumab, which is more commonly known as Keytruda®.
The company’s scientific co-founders, Todd Ridky, M.D, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Dermatology at the Perelman School of Medicine and Christopher Natale, Ph.D., Vice President of Research at Linnaeus, and, presented their findings on LNS8801 in the journal Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, in an article entitled “Pharmacologic Activation of G Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor Inhibits Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.” Linneaus was co-founded and launched through PCI Ventures’ UPstart incubator.
