Key Takeaways
- CellCentric’s $120 million Series C funding supports late-stage development of inobrodib, a novel oral p300/CBP inhibitor for multiple myeloma.
- Inobrodib’s mechanism targets MYC and IRF4 expression, addressing therapy resistance in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma patients.
- Planned trials include phase II/III studies and combination therapies with bispecific antibodies, advancing toward potential regulatory approval.
A $120 million Series C funding round was completed by CellCentric, a Cambridge, UK-based clinical-stage biotechnology company, for the advancement of inobrodib, which CellCentric is developing as a potential first-in-class oral treatment for several specific types of cancer, notably multiple myeloma (1).
CellCentric describes inobrodib as a novel, oral p300/CBP inhibitor (1). The p300/CBP coactivator family is comprised of p300—also known as adenovirus early region 1A, or E1A, binding protein p300—and CBP, or CREB-binding protein, in which CREB represents cAMP response element-binding protein, with cAMP standing for cyclic adenosine monophosphate (2,3). Targeting this has a desired end result of lowering the expression of transcription factor MYC and interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4), two key drivers of cancer (1,4).
New pathway for multiple myeloma treatment
According to CellCentric, the majority of patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma eventually succumb to the disease, and many are either not eligible for, or become resistant to, available therapies (1). Inobrodib’s oral delivery and mechanism of action provide another option, and a phase IIa dose optimization clinical study is currently ongoing that is combining inobrodib with two oral treatments, pomalidomide and dexamethasone.
The Series C funding will be used to support initiation of a phase II/III study in heavily pretreated patients with multiple myeloma, development activities for a phase III program to start in mid-2026, and initiation of trials to start almost instantaneously, within the second quarter of 2025, combining inobrodib with bispecific antibodies (1).
Major funding partners
Financing was co-led by RA Capital Management and new investor Forbion, with participation from Avego Bioscience Capital and BrightEdge, the venture capital and impact investment arm of the American Cancer Society.