Novel Science

Novel, Targeted Therapies

Together with our scientific collaborators and advisors, we are leaders in the scientific areas underpinning our product candidates.

 We are the leaders in understanding the role of receptor tyrosine kinase-like Orphan Receptor 1, or ROR1, a growth factor receptor that is widely expressed on many tumors, and responsible for the activation of pathways leading to increased tumor proliferation, invasiveness and drug resistance. ROR1 is an attractive target for cancer therapy because it is an onco-embryonic antigen, a protein typically expressed during embryogenesis that may confer a survival and fitness advantage when reactivated and expressed by tumor cells.

 For ONCT-534, our Dual-Action Androgen Receptor Inhibitor, or DAARI, we chose AR antagonism and degradation as our target mechanism of action focus due to the well-documented biology of AR signaling as the principal driver of prostate cancer. We believe that the differentiated dual-action pharmacology of ONCT-534 has the potential to translate into positive clinical outcomes for men with prostate cancer resistant to current standard of care agents.

 Each of our product candidates is made to address very specific mechanisms that cancer cells use to grow, thrive, metastasize and resist treatment. Each of our product candidates is designed to target these oncogenic pathways in cancer cells, while minimally affecting normal tissues and organs.

 With our drug development expertise and a strong network of academic collaborations, we are well positioned to turn these research discoveries into new potential therapies for patients with cancers with critical unmet patient need.