Delenex Therapeutics AG

Delenex Therapeutics AG has set out to revolutionize antibody therapies by making them available to many more patients. Almost thirty years after the first monoclonal antibody was approved by FDA, such drugs are helping the lives of millions of patients, especially in cancer and inflammatory disease. However, these medicines are injectable, expensive, and have a high risk of side effects. As a consequence, they are mostly prescribed to well-insured patients with severe diseases. By contrast, Delenex seeks to extend the field of application of antibody therapies to mild-moderate patients, at a more accessible price point.
This is achieved thanks to a novel class of antibodies called PENTRA®, which Are extremely tissue-penetrant and lend themselves to topical or local administration. By getting the drug at the site of disease (rather than into the patient's whole circulation as currently done), several benefits are jointly achieved:
(i) less drug is needed for the same (or better) therapeutic effect. This lowers the cost of goods and minimizes the chance of systemic side effects. (ii) in most cases the patient will be able to self-administer the drug as opposed to visiting the hospital or physician's office. This will facilitate the use of therapy and further reduce pharmaco-economic costs.
Given the wide applicability of this new concept, Delenex has had to focus on two diseases:
A. Psoriasis. It is an article of faith for dermatologists that proteins cannot penetrate skin. Delenex has proven using a cream formulation on live pigs, that its PENTRA antibodies penetrate epidermis and dermis in large excess to what is needed for pharmacologic action. In a clinical study, its lead compound DLX105 has shown a clinical effect when administered locally to psoriasis patients.
B. Crohn's Disease
Pre-clinical studies on mice and ex vivo human intestinal biopsies has shown the penetration of DLX105 in intestinal mucosa. A phase 2a clinical study is underway in 6 sites in Switzerland.