Volastra Therapeutics

Volastra Therapeutics is a drug and discovery company that focuses on developing new approaches for cancer treatments by targeting a tumor vulnerability known as CIN as a way to selectively kill cancer cells while sparing normal cells. Its proprietary CINtech platform identifies and targets specific genetic and cellular pathways involved in cancer cell growth and survival. This is used to develop a pipeline of synthetic lethality-based solutions, a process in which cancer cells with a specific genetic mutation are selectively killed while healthy cells remain unharmed.  

The company has four drug candidates in its pipeline: 1) Sovilnesib, a small molecular KIF18A orally-administered inhibitor, which is in-licensed from Amgen, and, as of July 2023, was in Phase I clinical trials to treat platinum-resistant serous ovarian cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, and other solid tumors, 2) VLS-1488, also a KIF18A inhibitor, which was pending investigational new drug approval, 3) undisclosed target partnered with Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), which was in discovery stage, and 4) undisclosed target using the immune activation approach also in the discovery stage. 

Key Customers and Partnerships

The company has several key partners involved in its drug discovery and development efforts including; Dewpoint therapeutics (since March 2021) to discover novel modulators of biomolecular condensates to prevent cancer progression and metastasis, Microsoft (since April 2021) to develop tools that help detect drivers of cancer metastasis, and BMS (since March 2022) to develop new medicines. 

Funding and Financials

In March 2023, the company raised USD 60 million in a Series A funding round led by Polaris Partners and ARCH venture partners, Eli Lilly and Company. The funds were used toward the clinical development of Amgen’s sovilnesib and for R&D.