Arpeggio Biosciences shuts down after Nrf2 drug program encounters off-target toxicity
Arpeggio Biosciences, founded in 2018 in Boulder, Colorado, built its platform around a large nascent‑RNA sequence database and aimed to develop a small‑molecule degrader of the Nrf2 transcription factor for non‑small cell lung cancer.
The company raised a $17 million Series A round in 2022 from investors including Builders VC, Khosla Ventures and TechU Ventures. Its lead program pursued a novel approach to modulate Nrf2, a key regulator of detoxifying and anti‑inflammatory pathways.
In a LinkedIn post, CEO Joey Azofeifa announced that the leadership had decided to wind down operations after determining that the candidate molecule could not be separated from an off‑target liability, undermining its efficacy.
The closure highlights the challenges of translating early‑stage transcriptome‑based discoveries into viable therapeutics and serves as a cautionary note for investors tracking similar biotech ventures.
This writeup was produced by pharmadog from original reporting by Fierce Biotech.
Original headline: “Arpeggio plays final chord as biotech disbands on poor prospects for Nrf2 program”
read at Fierce Biotech ↗
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