Presage Biosciences

Presage Biosciences is a translational oncology company dedicated to understanding the complexity of drug response in the tumor microenvironment. The company has developed a patented platform called CIVO (Comparative In Vivo Oncology) that enables multiplexed intratumoral microdosing and generation of detailed tumor profiling. CIVO allows the evaluation of up to eight distinct and trackable drugs or drug combinations simultaneously in patient tumors. This technology provides unprecedented insights into drug-exposed areas of the intact tumor microenvironment, enabling Presage to accurately track positions of drug exposure and examine responses through detailed spatial molecular profiling.

Presage's CIVO platform represents a pioneering solution to address fundamental issues in cancer drug development, such as the inability of preclinical models to accurately model the tumor microenvironment in human patients. By directly introducing investigational agents into patient tumors and observing molecular and cellular responses, CIVO has the potential to provide a more detailed understanding of tumor biology, encompassing the patient's own immune system, tumor microenvironment, and genetic background.

The company has successfully completed Phase 0 clinical trials evaluating immuno-oncology drugs alone and in combination. In January 2024, the FDA issued a Study May Proceed notification for Presage to evaluate a pre-GMP drug candidate, PBA-0405, owned by Poland-based biopharmaceutical company Pure Biologics, in a CIVO Phase 0 clinical trial. This represents the earliest stage material to date that will be evaluated in patients using the CIVO platform.

Key customers and partnerships

Presage partners with oncology-focused pharmaceutical companies through strategic alliances, including collaborations with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Merck, AstraZeneca, and Pure Biologics. These partnerships allow Presage to support the drug development efforts of its partners by providing translational analysis and insights into the therapeutic potential of novel agents in patient tumors using the CIVO platform.