A Catalio-initiated venture that seeks to generate precision immunotherapies targeting the most common cancer-causing mutations.
Clasp Therapeutics is the product of a multi-year collaboration between one of the world’s leading cancer geneticists, Dr. Bert Vogelstein, and one of the pioneers of immune-oncology, Dr. Drew Pardoll. The company plans to develop a suite of novel immunotherapies targeting mutations in the genes most frequently found in cancers, such as p53, KRAS, and BRAF. Using their patented MANA-SRM and MANAFEST technology, Clasp Therapeutics is able to identify mutation-associated neoantigens (MANAs) that are presented on the cell surface. They can then screen antibodies and T cell receptors against these targets to identify effective biologic or cell therapeutic interventions. In preclinical data, this approach has been shown to achieve complete tumor clearance.