Phost’in

Phost’in Therapeutics, founded in 2014, is a clinical-stage biotechnology company operating in the Glyco-Immuno-Oncology sector. The company emerged as a spin-off from a decade of academic research by a consortium of French institutes in Montpellier and Paris. It was co-founded by Karine Chorro, who serves as CEO, and Dr. Ludovic Clarion, the CSO. Chorro brings over 20 years of experience in managing and funding innovative companies, while Dr. Clarion's background is in drug development, building upon the technology he helped develop during his PhD.

The company's core business is the discovery and development of first-in-class, small-molecule New Chemical Entities (NCEs) that target abnormal glycosylation mechanisms to treat cancers and other serious diseases. The business model revolves around advancing its proprietary drug candidates through clinical trials and forming strategic licensing agreements with larger pharmaceutical companies. A key agreement was made with Taiho Pharmaceutical, which obtained option rights to develop and commercialize Phost'in's lead compound in Japan and other Asian territories. Phost'in retains commercialization rights for North America, Europe, and China and is responsible for manufacturing.

Phost'in's primary product candidate is PhOx430, an orally administered N-glycosylation inhibitor. This drug targets the enzyme GnT-V, which is responsible for creating an abnormal sugar coating (glycocalyx) on tumor cells that shields them from the immune system. By inhibiting this enzyme, PhOx430 aims to unmask cancer cells, thereby enabling an anti-cancer immune response, while also down-regulating receptors involved in cancer proliferation. The lead program, developed from the company's proprietary Phost'Screen™ discovery platform, has shown a promising safety profile in preclinical studies. PhOx430 is currently in a Phase I/II adaptive clinical trial (the PhAST trial) across Europe for patients with advanced solid tumors, including glioblastoma, ovarian, gastric, and pancreatic cancers.

Significant milestones include securing a €10.3 million Series A funding round in April 2020 and an additional €2.5 million in non-dilutive funding from Bpifrance's Deeptech program in September 2020. In January 2025, the company announced the expansion of its PhAST trial based on favorable interim results. The company originated from academic work at institutions like CNRS and the Universities of Montpellier and Sorbonne Paris Nord, from which it holds an exclusive license for two families of patents.

Keywords: Glyco-Immuno-Oncology, N-glycosylation inhibitors, PhOx430, GnT-V inhibitor, solid tumor treatment, clinical-stage biotech, glycocalyx modifiers, cancer immunotherapy, Phost'Screen platform, small molecule therapeutics, oncology drug development, Montpellier biotech, Karine Chorro, Ludovic Clarion, Taiho Pharmaceutical license, advanced solid tumors, glioblastoma treatment, immuno-oncology, cancer glycosylation, targeted therapy