Tokyo-based biotech startup Tensegrity Pharma, Inc. (Headquarters: Tokyo; CEO: Takahito Nakahara; hereinafter, referred to as “Tensegrity Pharma”), dedicated to delivering innovative drug candidates to the world, has successfully completed a seed round of financing of 500 million yen through a third-party allotment from Newton Biocapital  (Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium; CEO: Alain Parthoens; Japan Representative: Sadashi Suzuki; hereinafter referred to as “NBC”).  With this funding, the company will take over a strategic discontinued project from Astellas Pharma Inc. and accelerate its development as “TSP-101,” a new therapeutic drug for cachexia.

What is Cachexia?
Cachexia is a syndrome characterized by weight loss associated with chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiac disease, and infections, though the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplained. There are no effective medical interventions or approved drugs for the condition. Recent research has revealed that multiple molecular mechanisms are involved in the pathogenesis of cachexia, including skeletal muscle, fat tissue, digestive organs, central nervous system, and immune system. Cancer-related cachexia, in particular, is a multifactorial disorder that is difficult to recover from with ordinary nutritional support and is primarily characterized by sustained skeletal muscle loss. Factors released by the tumor, tumor-induced systemic inflammatory reactions, and metabolic changes are deeply involved in the pathogenesis. This complication, which occurs in up to 80% of cancer patients, is known to cause weight loss and loss of appetite, reduced chemotherapy efficacy, increased side effects, and treatment interruptions, and correlates with reduced overall survival of cancer patients.

Business Outlook
Tensegrity Pharma focuses on eliminating specific bottlenecks in drug discovery projects and adopts a unique approach of quickly finding solutions with small, self-organized teams. This method is inspired by the concept of “tensegrity,” which involves creating stable structures with a minimal number of components. Tensegrity Pharma identifies new drug candidates and conducts exploratory clinical trials globally to stimulate the pharmaceutical ecosystem and create new business opportunities.
Tensegrity Pharma is currently developing TSP-101, which is expected to have anti-cachexia effects by blocking the signaling of specific factors over-expressed in various cancers with high incidence of cachexia and suppressing cancer-derived inflammatory responses, as well as anticancer effects by improving the tumor microenvironment. We have taken over the project in preclinical development that was discontinued by Astellas Pharma Inc. for strategic reasons, and we aim to achieve proof of concept (POC) in clinical trials as quickly as possible by taking it into phase 1/2 clinical trials as TSP-101.Paragraph. 

About Tensegrity Pharma
Tensegrity Pharma is a Tokyo-based biotech startup with a mission to eliminate global bottlenecks in the discovery of new drugs. The company re-evaluates and revitalizes therapeutic projects that were strategically discontinued, aiming to conduct exploratory clinical development trials on a global scale to obtain clinical POC and maximize their value through out-licensing and M&A opportunities with biopharmaceutical companies. With a team comprised of members with experience at both major pharmaceutical firms and startups, Tensegrity Pharma leverages promising candidate compounds for clinical development, uncovering and delivering highly innovative drug seeds that address unmet medical and societal needs and contribute to further activating the drug discovery ecosystem in Japan. The company is also dedicated to nurturing globally-minded drug discovery talent originating from Japan.
 
CEO               : Takahito Nakahara
Address        : Nihonbashi Mizuno Building 7F
  1-11-12 Nihonbashi Muromachi
  Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0022
Established : March 7, 2023
URL               : https://tensegritypharma.com/
 
About Newton Biocapital Partners II
Newton Biocapital is a venture capital investment fund targeting startups involved in new drug development. NBC was certified as part of the “Drug Discovery Venture Ecosystem Strengthening Project” publicly announced by the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), and is the only certified venture capital fund that is active in both Japan and Europe.
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Media Inquiries
Tensegrity Pharma, Inc.
Business Operation, Public Relations
info@tensegrityp.com