SOUTH CAROLINA – May 6, 2025 – Sebastian Biopharma is a preclinical-stage biotechnology company leading innovation in tumor neoantigen induction. The company’s transformative approach enhances tumor antigenicity, enabling the immune system to recognize and combat cancer more effectively. By leveraging RNA interference (RNAi) technology to precisely modulate intracellular target expression and employing tumor-associated antigen-specific antibodies to deliver RNAi mediators directly to tumor cells, Sebastian Biopharma is redefining next-generation immuno-oncology (IO) combinatorial therapies with the potential to improve the lives of cancer patients worldwide.
Solutions
A major FDA-recognized barrier to effective T-cell-based immunotherapies is the paucity of neoantigens on tumor cell surfaces, which limits immune recognition. iTAP, Sebastian Biopharma’s lead therapeutic candidate, addresses this challenge by transiently reducing TAP expression—a critical component of the antigen processing machinery for MHC class I molecules. This reduction induces the presentation of clonal tumor neoantigens, rendering tumor cells visible to the immune system and optimizing their response to immune checkpoint blockade treatments (ICBs) and other immunomodulatory drugs. The innovative ‘plug-and-play’ antibody-oligonucleotide (AOC) platform enables the clinical translation of this concept, building on validated clinical assets with significant potential for cancer treatment. Evidence from colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with microsatellite instability (MSI) phenotype treated with ICBs underscores the relevance of neoantigen load for immune activation in this tumor type. iTAP aims to address the unmet clinical need in CRC patients with microsatellite stable (MSS) disease, representing around 85% of the total population, by increasing neoantigen presentation and converting them into MSI tumors. This approach could sensitize over four times more CRC patients to ICBs and extend its applicability to other tumor types where neoantigen expression is critical for immune response.
Strengths
- First-In-Class Concept
- TAP expression reduction is an unexplored therapeutic strategy exclusive to Sebastian Biopharma.
- Differentiation from Competitors
- Pioneering clonal neoantigen induction and targeted delivery in the field of tumor antigenicity modulation.
- Validated Technology Platform
- Integrates established clinical approaches like ADCs and siRNAs, while advancing the AOC field in cancer treatment.
- Partnership-Rich
- Extensive opportunities to collaborate and sensitize cancer patients to ICBs and other immune therapies.
Meet the Co-Founders
From left to right:
Eli Gilboa, Ph.D. – Founder + Inventor
Greta Garrido, Ph.D. – Co-Founder + Chief Scientific Officer