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Step Pharma

Step Pharma
In Press Release

Step Pharma Announces First Patient Dosed with STP938, the World’s Most Advanced CTPS1 Inhibitor, in a Phase 1/2 Trial for T cell and B cell lymphomas

Press Release

St. Genis-Pouilly, France, 24 October 2022

Potential first-in-class targeted treatment for relapsed/refractory T cell and B cell lymphomas

Step Pharma, the world leader in CTPS1 inhibition for the targeted treatment of cancer, announces today that the first patient has been successfully dosed with STP938, in a Phase 1/2 trial in adult subjects with relapsed/refractory B cell and T cell lymphomas.

The dose-escalation part of the open label, non-randomised Phase 1/2 trial comprises multiple cohorts dosed with STP938, administered as an oral monotherapy, ascending in a stepwise manner. The primary objective in Phase I is to assess the safety and tolerability of STP938.

Brian Schwartz, Chief Medical Officer of Step Pharma, commented:

“We are developing STP938, a highly selective, first-in-class treatment based on ground-breaking genetics. The dosing of the first patient into our Phase 1/2 trial is an important step to identify an optimal dose to take forward into further clinical development for relapsed/ refractory T cell and B cell lymphomas.”

STP938 is a first-in-class oral cancer therapeutic that specifically inhibits nucleotide synthesis and the enzyme cytidine triphosphate synthase 1 (CTPS1) in particular, originally identified as an essential gene for lymphocyte proliferation. By targeting CTPS1, Step Pharma has unlocked the ability to selectively target the de novo pyrimidine synthesis pathway in cancer cells. This ground-breaking approach should enable the highly selective treatment of both blood cancers and solid tumours.

Further details of the study can be found on clinicaltrials.gov under the identifier NCT05463263.
Contacts

Step Pharma
Andrew Parker, Chief Executive Officer
contact@step-ph.com


Media Relations
Consilium Strategic Communications
Amber Fennell, Namrata Taak, Stella Lempidaki
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5700
steppharma@consilium-comms.com

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About Step Pharma

Step Pharma’s goal is to bring about a step change in how cancer is treated with targeted therapies that kill cancer cells and leave healthy cells unharmed. The Company is the world leader in CTPS1 inhibition, a new approach with the potential to yield highly selective, safe and effective cancer treatments for both blood cancers and solid tumours.

The Company’s lead product STP938 has received both IND and CTA clearance to proceed into first in human trials in the US and UK for the treatment of T cell and B cell lymphomas. Clinical trials in lymphoma commenced in the second half of 2022. STP938 has the potential to be the backbone of a multitude of cancer therapies as well as a potent monotherapy for hard-to-treat blood cancers.

Step Pharma was founded in 2014 by Kurma Partners, the Imagine Institute and Sygnature Discovery, based on the scientific discoveries of Prof. Alain Fischer and Dr Sylvain Latour. Step Pharma is based in Saint-Genis-Pouilly, France, and is supported by a strong syndicate of investors led by Kurma Partners and including Bpifrance (Fonds Biothérapies Innovantes et Maladies Rares and InnoBio2 Fund), Pontifax, Hadean Ventures, Sunstone Life Science Ventures, Inserm Transfert Initiative, Idinvest, Sygnature Discovery and the Imagine Institute.

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Step Pharma
In Press Release

Step Pharma Progresses into Oncology Clinical Trials with STP938, the World’s Most Advanced CTPS1 Inhibitor

Press Release

St. Genis-Pouilly, France, 28 July 2022

  • Clearance of IND and CTA applications in the US and UK for STP938 for the treatment of T cell and B cell lymphomas

  • First-in-class targeted therapy with potential applications in multiple cancer indications

  • Novel mechanism of action with high selectivity has the potential to yield an oral treatment with minimal side effects

Step Pharma, a world leader in CTPS1 inhibition for the targeted treatment of cancer, announces today that its lead asset STP938 has cleared both an Investigational New Drug (IND) application by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and a clinical trial application (CTA) by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), enabling Step Pharma to progress STP938, its first-in-class, selective CTPS1 inhibitor into the clinic in the US and UK.

STP938 has now entered an open label, first-in-human, Phase 1/2 study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy of STP938 in adult subjects with relapsed/refractory B cell and T cell lymphomas. Further details of the study can be found on clinicaltrials.gov under the identifier NCT05463263. Patients with such cancers currently face high relapse rates from existing treatments.

Step Pharma is pioneering a novel class of oral drugs that specifically inhibits nucleotide synthesis and the enzyme cytidine triphosphate synthase 1 (CTPS1) in particular, originally identified as an essential gene for lymphocyte proliferation. By targeting CTPS1, Step Pharma has unlocked the ability to selectively target the de novo pyrimidine synthesis pathway in cancer cells. This ground-breaking approach should enable the highly selective treatment of both blood cancers and solid tumours.

Andrew Parker, Chief Executive Officer of Step Pharma, said:

“Our unique approach to cancer treatment has the potential to yield a novel targeted cancer therapy that can form the backbone of both blood and solid tumour cancer treatment regimens. We are delighted to have moved STP938 into the clinic for hard-to-treat lymphomas with the ultimate goal of improving the lives of millions of cancer patients.”

Dr. Brian Schwartz, Chief Medical Officer, commented:

“The clinical trial approvals by both the US FDA and UK MHRA are a significant milestone for Step Pharma and our highly differentiated lead candidate STP938, as we become a clinical-stage company and move at speed to bring this first-in-class treatment to cancer patients with high unmet medical needs.”

Step Pharma will initially investigate STP938 in blood cancers, with a focus on T cell lymphomas, where there has been no improvement in five-year survival rates for over 20 years. However, as studies have shown that all cancer cells require CTPS1 for DNA synthesis, STP938 could be a key component of a multitude of cancer treatment regimens.

Contacts:

Step Pharma
Andrew Parker, Chief Executive Officer
contact@step-ph.com


Media Relations
Consilium Strategic Communications
Amber Fennell, Namrata Taak, Stella Lempidaki
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5700
steppharma@consilium-comms.com

+ DOWNLOAD PDF

About Step Pharma

Step Pharma’s goal is to bring about a step change in how cancer is treated with targeted therapies that kill cancer cells and leave healthy cells unharmed. The Company is the world leader in CTPS1 inhibition, a new approach with the potential to yield highly selective, safe and effective cancer treatments for both blood cancers and solid tumours.

The Company’s lead product STP938 has received both IND and CTA clearance to proceed into first in human trials in the US and UK for the treatment of T cell and B cell lymphomas. Clinical trials in lymphoma commenced in the second half of 2022. STP938 has the potential to be the backbone of a multitude of cancer therapies as well as a potent monotherapy for hard-to-treat blood cancers.

Step Pharma was founded in 2014 by Kurma Partners, the Imagine Institute and Sygnature Discovery, based on the scientific discoveries of Prof. Alain Fischer and Dr Sylvain Latour. Step Pharma is based in Saint-Genis-Pouilly, France, and is supported by a strong syndicate of investors led by Kurma Partners and including Bpifrance (Fonds Biothérapies Innovantes et Maladies Rares and InnoBio2 Fund), Pontifax, Hadean Ventures, Sunstone Life Science Ventures, Inserm Transfert Initiative, Idinvest, Sygnature Discovery and the Imagine Institute.

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Step Pharma
In Press Release, Events

Step Pharma Presents Encouraging Data on its First-in-Class CTPS1 Inhibitor STP938 at the European Hematology Association Congress

Press Release

St. Genis-Pouilly, France, 10 June 2022

Step Pharma, a world leader in CTPS1 inhibition for the targeted treatment of cancer, announces today that it is presenting encouraging data in three posters for its first-in-class, highly selective, orally bioavailable CTPS1 inhibitor STP938 at the European Hematology Association Congress being held June 9-17, 2022 in Vienna, Austria.

The data presented demonstrate the high specificity of CTPS1 inhibition achieved with STP938, with inhibition of human neoplastic T cell growth shown both in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, inhibition of CTPS1 by STP938 shows anti-proliferative activity in multiple myeloma through the induction of replication stress and demonstrates synergistic activity when combined with ATR inhibition.

These data support Step Pharma’s belief in STP938’s targeted cytotoxic potential in haematological cancers. STP938 displays favourable preclinical safety and pharmacological properties and is due to progress into first in human clinical studies in the second half of 2022.

Philip Beer, Head of Research and Translational Medicine at Step Pharma, commented:

“Our promising findings demonstrate the importance of CTPS1 for cancer cell proliferation and the potential of STP938 as a targeted therapy for the treatment of cancers with high unmet clinical need. CTPS1 plays a crucial role in neoplastic cells, where inhibiting its activity could have a significant impact in a number of different cancers, either as monotherapy or in combination with existing or novel cancer drugs. We look forward to progressing this exciting new therapy into the clinic.”

Andrew Parker, Chief Executive Officer of Step Pharma, said:

“Our deep understanding of the pathways and CTPS1 biology has led to the development of STP938, a targeted therapy with predicted superior safety and efficacy profiles compared to existing treatments. We believe that this highly selective treatment has the potential to kill cancer cells without affecting immune cell differentiation and therefore could represent a significant step change in the way we treat cancer.”

 

Full details of the posters are:

 

Poster Presentation: CTP synthase 1 (CTPS1) is a novel target in T cell cancers, with small molecule inhibition inducing death of neoplastic human T cells in vitro and inhibition of their growth in an in vivo xenotransplant model

Authors: Philip Beer, Hélène Asnagli, Norbert Minet, Eef Hoeben, Andrew Parker, Alain Fischer, Sylvain Latour

Date and Time: Available from June 10, 09:00 CEST and on-demand until Monday, August 15, 2022, on the Congress platform

Session title: Lymphoma Biology & Translational Research

 

Poster presentation: CTPS1 is a novel therapeutic target in myeloma – selective small molecule inhibition delivers single agent activity and synergises with ATR inhibition

Authors: Christina Pfeiffer, Philip Beer, Hélène Asnagli, Arnold Bolomsky, Alexander Grandits, Anja Schneller, Julia Huber, Niklas Zojer, Martin Schreder, Andrew Parker, Heinz Ludwig

Date and Time: Available from June 10, 09:00 CEST and on-demand until Monday, August 15, 2022, on the Congress platform

Session title: Myeloma and other monoclonal gammopathies – Biology & Translational Research

 

Poster Presentation: Selective small molecule inhibition of CTP synthase 1 (CTPS1) suppresses T cell proliferation and cytokine release, highlighting a novel therapeutic target for graft-versus-host disease

Authors: Philip Beer, Andrew Parker, Hélène Asnagli

Date and Time: Available from June 10, 09:00 CEST and on-demand until Monday, August 15, 2022, on the Congress platform

Session title: Stem cell transplantation – Experimental

-Ends-

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About Step Pharma

Step Pharma is focused on the development of a novel class of oral nucleotide synthesis inhibitors targeting CTPS1 for the improved treatment of a range of cancer types. The company has identified several inhibitors of CTPS1, with the most advanced, STP938, being prepared for clinical studies in haematological malignancies.

Step Pharma was founded in June 2014 by Kurma Partners, the Imagine Institute, and Sygnature Discovery based on the scientific discoveries of Dr Sylvain Latour and Prof. Alain Fischer (UMR1163 Inserm unit). Step Pharma is based in Saint-Genis-Pouilly, France, and is supported by a strong investor base led by Kurma Partners and including Bpifrance (Fonds Biothérapies Innovantes et Maladies Rares and InnoBio2 Fund), Pontifax, Hadean Ventures, Sunstone Life Science Ventures, Inserm Transfert Initiative, Idinvest, Sygnature Discovery and the Imagine Institute.

For more information please contact

Step Pharma
Andrew Parker, Chief Executive Officer
contact@step-ph.com

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Step Pharma
In Press Release, Events

Step Pharma to Present Promising Data on the Therapeutic Potential of Selective Small Molecule Inhibition of CTPS1 at the European Hematology Association Congress 2022

Press Release

St. Genis-Pouilly, France, 30 May

Step Pharma, a biotech company developing CTPS1 inhibitors for the safe and effective treatment of cancer, announces today that it will be presenting data on its lead candidate STP938 at the European Hematology Association Congress being held from the 9-17 June, 2022 in Vienna, Austria.ciation Congress being held June 9-17, 2022 in Vienna, Austria.

Step Pharma will present three posters on STP938, its potent and highly selective small molecule inhibitor of CTPS1 and its potential as a therapeutic for the treatment of T Cell cancers, Multiple Myeloma and Graft-versus-Host Disease (GvHD).

Full details of the posters are:

Poster presentation: CTPS1 is a novel therapeutic target in myeloma – selective small molecule inhibition delivers single agent activity and synergises with ATR inhibition
Authors: Christina Pfeiffer, Philip Beer, Hélène Asnagli, Arnold Bolomsky, Alexander Grandits, Anja Schneller, Julia Huber, Niklas Zojer, Martin Schreder, Andrew Parker, Heinz Ludwig
Date and Time: Available from June 10, 09:00 CEST and on-demand until Monday, August 15, 2022, on the Congress platform
Session title: Myeloma and other monoclonal gammopathies – Biology & Translational Research

Poster Presentation: CTP synthase 1 is a novel target in T cell cancers, with small molecule inhibition inducing death of neoplastic human T cells in vitro and inhibition of their growth in an in vivo xenotransplant model
Authors: Philip Beer, Hélène Asnagli, Norbert Minet, Eef Hoeben, Andrew Parker, Alain Fischer, Sylvain Latour
Date and Time: Available from June 10, 09:00 CEST and on-demand until Monday, August 15, 2022, on the Congress platform
Session title: Lymphoma Biology & Translational Research

Poster Presentation: Selective small molecule inhibition of CTP synthase 1 (CTPS1) suppresses T cell proliferation and cytokine release, highlighting a novel therapeutic target for graft-versus-host disease

Authors: Philip Beer, Andrew Parker, Hélène Asnagli

Date and Time: Available from June 10, 09:00 CEST and on-demand until Monday, August 15, 2022, on the Congress platform
Session title: Stem cell transplantation – Experimental

 

Contacts:

Media Relations
Consilium Strategic Communications
Amber Fennell, Giulia Lasagni, Stella Lempidaki
steppharma@consilium-comms.com

+ DOWNLOAD PDF

About Step Pharma

Step Pharma is focused on the development of a novel class of oral nucleotide synthesis inhibitors targeting CTPS1 for the improved treatment of a range of cancer types. The company has identified several inhibitors of CTPS1, with the most advanced, STP938, being prepared for clinical studies in haematological malignancies.

Step Pharma was founded in June 2014 by Kurma Partners, the Imagine Institute, and Sygnature Discovery based on the scientific discoveries of Dr Sylvain Latour and Prof. Alain Fischer (UMR1163 Inserm unit). Step Pharma is based in Saint-Genis-Pouilly, France, and is supported by a strong investor base led by Kurma Partners and including Bpifrance (Fonds Biothérapies Innovantes et Maladies Rares and InnoBio2 Fund), Pontifax, Hadean Ventures, Sunstone Life Science Ventures, Inserm Transfert Initiative, Idinvest, Sygnature Discovery and the Imagine Institute.

For more information please contact

Step Pharma
contact@step-ph.com

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Step Pharma
In Press Release

Step Pharma Strengthens Clinical Development Team Ahead of First in Human Studies

Press Release

St. Genis-Pouilly, France, 10 May

Step Pharma, a biotech company developing CTPS1 inhibitors for the safe and effective oral treatment of cancer, announces today that it has strengthened its clinical development team with the appointment of Dr. Brian Schwartz as Chief Medical Officer and Dr. Maureen Higgins as Vice President and Head of Clinical Operations, as it continues to advance STP938, its lead CTPS1 inhibitor, towards clinical studies in haematological malignancies.

Dr. Brian Schwartz brings more than 25 years of experience in drug development in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, in areas including oncology, haematology and rare diseases. Dr. Schwartz previously served for twelve years at ArQule, where he was Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research and Development and led clinical development of the BTK inhibitor ARQ 531 before the company’s $2.7 billion acquisition by Merck in 2020. His previous roles also include CMO and Senior Vice President, Clinical and Regulatory Affairs at Ziopharm, where he oversaw the development of new cancer drugs. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at Bayer Healthcare and Leo Laboratories. Alongside his role at Step Pharma, Brian will continue to act as a consultant to other biotech companies, and also serve on the boards of Mereo BioPharma, Enlivex, Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals and Infinity Pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Schwartz, who practiced medicine prior to his career in the biopharmaceutical industry, holds a medical degree from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and completed a fellowship at the University of Toronto, Canada.

Dr. Maureen Higgins has 30 years of experience in clinical research in project management, clinical operations, and business development within both the pharmaceutical and CRO sectors. Dr. Higgins was previously VP for Project Management at Precision for Medicine. Prior to that, she served as Director for Project Management at Chiltern Oncology, overseeing studies and leading project managers in the conduct and delivery of early phase oncology studies, and as Project Director at PRA Health Sciences, UK, where she project-managed early- and late-phase oncology, and neurology studies. She was also Director for Business Development at CroMedica and an Internal Business Consultant at Quintiles, where she also served as Head of Operations in South Africa.

Dr. Higgins holds a B.Sc. in Biology from Bristol Polytechnic, a Ph.D. in Molecular Developmental Genetics from the University of Edinburgh, where she also completed her post-doctoral fellowship in Molecular Biology and an MBA from Strathclyde Graduate Business School.

Andrew Parker, Chief Executive Officer of Step Pharma, commented:

“On the eve of Step Pharma progressing into the clinic with STP938, we are delighted to have made such strong clinical operations appointments in Brian and Maureen. Step Pharma are the world leaders in CTPS1 inhibition, a novel approach that we believe could allow us to selectively target cancer cells, not only in our core focus of haematological cancers but in a combination setting in solid tumours as well.”

Dr. Brian Schwartz, Chief Medical Officer, commented:

“Researchers have been trying to target pyrimidine synthesis for decades to treat cancer without success, but with Step Pharma’s CTPS1 approach I believe we have the breakthrough. I am delighted to be joining such an experienced team at this pivotal time for the company.”

Dr. Higgins, VP, Head of Clinical Operations, commented:

“Step Pharma is the world leader in CTPS1 research and with its strong scientific heritage, outstanding team and high-quality investors has the clear recipe for success. I am excited to support the company take the next important clinical step in its development.”

 

Contacts:

Media Relations
Consilium Strategic Communications
Amber Fennell, Giulia Lasagni, Stella Lempidaki
steppharma@consilium-comms.com

+ DOWNLOAD PDF

About Step Pharma

Step Pharma is focused on the development of a novel class of oral nucleotide synthesis inhibitors targeting CTPS1 for the improved treatment of a range of cancer types. The company has identified several inhibitors of CTPS1, with the most advanced, STP938, being prepared for clinical studies in haematological malignancies.

Step Pharma was founded in June 2014 by Kurma Partners, the Imagine Institute, and Sygnature Discovery based on the scientific discoveries of Dr Sylvain Latour and Prof. Alain Fischer (UMR1163 Inserm unit). Step Pharma is based in Saint-Genis-Pouilly, France, and is supported by a strong investor base led by Kurma Partners and including Bpifrance (Fonds Biothérapies Innovantes et Maladies Rares and InnoBio2 Fund), Pontifax, Hadean Ventures, Sunstone Life Science Ventures, Inserm Transfert Initiative, Idinvest, Sygnature Discovery and the Imagine Institute.

For more information please contact

Step Pharma
contact@step-ph.com

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Step Pharma
In Press Release, Events

Step Pharma Presents Encouraging Data on its First-in-Class CTPS1 Inhibitor STP938 at the European Hematology Association Congress

Press Release

Archamps, France, October 6, 2021

Step Pharma, a biotech company developing novel drugs for oncology and autoimmune diseases, announced today the appointment of Dr. Adrian Senderowicz to its Board of Directors. Dr. Senderowicz is a board-certified medical oncologist with 30 years of experience in drug development and commercialization.

“Adrian has phenomenal expertise in cancer drug development having led numerous oncology clinical trials and also brings regulatory agency experience,” said Andrew Parker, CEO of Step Pharma. “We’d like to welcome him to the Board and look forward to working closely with him as we move forward into clinical studies. Our lead program, STP938, will enter clinical studies for the treatment of heamatological malignancies in 2022.”

 

Dr. Senderowicz was previously Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Constellation Pharmaceuticals, where he was responsible for the development of a portfolio of compounds leveraging epigenetics. Before Constellation, Dr. Senderowicz was chief medical officer at Cerulean Pharma, where he helped secure fast-track designation for the company’s lead clinical program in two indications. Previously, Dr. Senderowicz held roles of increasing responsibility at Ignyta, Inc, Sanofi Oncology, Tokai Pharmaceuticals and AstraZeneca plc. He began his career as an investigator at the National Cancer Institute before joining the FDA’s CDER. Adrian conducted his Internal Medicine residency training at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a Clinical Oncology Fellowship at the NCI. He holds an MD from the School of Medicine at the Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina). Dr. Senderowicz also sits on the board of Puma Biotechnology.

“Step Pharma’s CTPS1 (cytidine triphosphate synthase 1) platform is extremely promising for cancer indications. I’m looking forward to help guide the company as it moves its first program, STP938, into clinical development for the treatment of haematological malignancies,”

Dr. Senderowicz said.

 

Targeting CTPS1

Cytidine nucleotide triphosphate (CTP) is a precursor required for DNA synthesis and cell division. Patients deficient in the enzyme CTPS1 have an altered immune cell proliferation response to immune challenge but no other deleterious effects. This same pathway supports the uncontrolled growth of cancerous T and B cells, thus inhibiting CTPS1 represents a novel precision oncology approach to specifically block proliferation and induce killing of cancerous cells in lymphoma and leukaemia.

+ DOWNLOAD PDF

About Step Pharma

Step Pharma is focused on the development of a novel class of oral nucleotide synthesis inhibitors targeting CTPS1 for the improved treatment of a range of cancer types. The company has identified several inhibitors of CTPS1, with the most advanced, STP938, being prepared for clinical studies in haematological malignancies.

Step Pharma was founded in June 2014 by Kurma Partners, the Imagine Institute, and Sygnature Discovery based on the scientific discoveries of Dr Sylvain Latour and Prof. Alain Fischer (UMR1163 Inserm unit). Step Pharma is based in Saint-Genis-Pouilly, France, and is supported by a strong investor base led by Kurma Partners and including Bpifrance (Fonds Biothérapies Innovantes et Maladies Rares and InnoBio2 Fund), Pontifax, Hadean Ventures, Sunstone Life Science Ventures, Inserm Transfert Initiative, Idinvest, Sygnature Discovery and the Imagine Institute.

For more information please contact

Step Pharma
Andrew Parker, Chief Executive Officer
contact@step-ph.com

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Step Pharma
In Events

Step Pharma to present a poster on STP938 at 12th International Congress on AutoImmunity

EVENT

Paris, France, France, May 21, 2021

Step Pharma will present at the 12th International Congress on AutoImmunity. Listen to our poster presentation on Monday 31st May.

About Step Pharma

Step Pharma is focused on the development of a novel class of oral nucleotide synthesis inhibitors targeting CTPS1 for the improved treatment of a range of cancer types. The company has identified several inhibitors of CTPS1, with the most advanced, STP938, being prepared for clinical studies in haematological malignancies.

Step Pharma was founded in June 2014 by Kurma Partners, the Imagine Institute, and Sygnature Discovery based on the scientific discoveries of Dr Sylvain Latour and Prof. Alain Fischer (UMR1163 Inserm unit). Step Pharma is based in Saint-Genis-Pouilly, France, and is supported by a strong investor base led by Kurma Partners and including Bpifrance (Fonds Biothérapies Innovantes et Maladies Rares and InnoBio2 Fund), Pontifax, Hadean Ventures, Sunstone Life Science Ventures, Inserm Transfert Initiative, Idinvest, Sygnature Discovery and the Imagine Institute.

For more information please contact

Step Pharma
Andrew Parker, Chief Executive Officer
contact@step-ph.com

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Step Pharma
In Meet the Team

Meet the Team: Duc Tran, Chief Development Officer

Duc has been an employee to Step Pharma since March 2020 acting as Chief Development Officer.

He brings over twenty years of experience in drug discovery and drug development for big pharma companies (Sanofi-Aventis, Pfizer, Lundbeck) and biotech start-ups (Preglem, Arisgen, EspeRare, Prexton Therapeutics).

Duc’s experience extends across many therapeutic areas including cardiovascular, anti-infective, urology, epigenetics, CNS, rare disease and reproductive medicine. He has successfully delivered a number of projects into clinical development and on to registration. Duc is responsible for the drug development programs, providing pre-IND non-clinical, CMC and clinical leadership, implementing regulatory strategy, to ensure successful transition of lead candidates into clinical development.

Duc graduated from the French Grandes Ecoles d’ingénieurs ESPCI in Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Duc also holds a MSc degree in organic and bioorganic chemistry from Paris VI and is a registered Project Manager.

About Step Pharma

Step Pharma is focused on the development of a novel class of oral nucleotide synthesis inhibitors targeting CTPS1 for the improved treatment of a range of cancer types. The company has identified several inhibitors of CTPS1, with the most advanced, STP938, being prepared for clinical studies in haematological malignancies.

Step Pharma was founded in June 2014 by Kurma Partners, the Imagine Institute, and Sygnature Discovery based on the scientific discoveries of Dr Sylvain Latour and Prof. Alain Fischer (UMR1163 Inserm unit). Step Pharma is based in Saint-Genis-Pouilly, France, and is supported by a strong investor base led by Kurma Partners and including Bpifrance (Fonds Biothérapies Innovantes et Maladies Rares and InnoBio2 Fund), Pontifax, Hadean Ventures, Sunstone Life Science Ventures, Inserm Transfert Initiative, Idinvest, Sygnature Discovery and the Imagine Institute.

For more information please contact

Step Pharma
Andrew Parker, Chief Executive Officer
contact@step-ph.com

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Step Pharma
In Events

Step Pharma awarded ‘First-in-class therapeutic innovation’ during the 6th MEET2WIN Oncology Convention

EVENT

Paris, France, France, May 11, 2021

Among eleven pre-selected projects, Step Pharma SAS have been selected by the MATWIN board, based on its relevance from a medical perspective and their future development potential.

More on MATWIN, click here

About Step Pharma

Step Pharma is focused on the development of a novel class of oral nucleotide synthesis inhibitors targeting CTPS1 for the improved treatment of a range of cancer types. The company has identified several inhibitors of CTPS1, with the most advanced, STP938, being prepared for clinical studies in haematological malignancies.

Step Pharma was founded in June 2014 by Kurma Partners, the Imagine Institute, and Sygnature Discovery based on the scientific discoveries of Dr Sylvain Latour and Prof. Alain Fischer (UMR1163 Inserm unit). Step Pharma is based in Saint-Genis-Pouilly, France, and is supported by a strong investor base led by Kurma Partners and including Bpifrance (Fonds Biothérapies Innovantes et Maladies Rares and InnoBio2 Fund), Pontifax, Hadean Ventures, Sunstone Life Science Ventures, Inserm Transfert Initiative, Idinvest, Sygnature Discovery and the Imagine Institute.

For more information please contact

Step Pharma
contact@step-ph.com

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Step Pharma
In Press Release

Step Pharma Raises EUR35 Million in Series B Financing to Advance First in Class CTPS1 inhibitor into the Clinic in T Cell Malignancies

Press Release

Archamps, France, 24 March 2021

Step Pharma, a biotech company developing novel drugs for oncology and autoimmune diseases, today announced the successful closing of a EUR35 million Series B financing. New investors Hadean Ventures and Sunstone Life Science Ventures co-led the round, joining existing investors Kurma Partners, Pontifax and Bpifrance, who reinvested through its Innovative Biotherapies and Rare Diseases fund and InnoBio 2 fund. As part of the financing, Jacob L Moresco from Sunstone Life Science Ventures and Walter Stockinger from Hadean Ventures will join the Step Pharma Board of Directors.

The proceeds will be used to advance Step Pharma’s lead proprietary CTPS1 inhibitor, STP938, into clinical development for the treatment of T-cell malignancies. In addition, Step Pharma will use the funding to advance development of CTPS1 inhibitors in other haematological malignancies and solid tumours. CTPS1 (cytidine triphosphate synthase 1) is an enzyme that plays a critical role in DNA synthesis, cell division and proliferation but whose function is highly selective to certain cell types, in particular proliferating T cells, making it an ideal target for drug development.

Roger Franklin, Partner at Hadean Ventures said:

“CTPS1 is an elegant target for the development of drugs in the T-cell malignancy space in which there is significant unmet need. The strength of the underlying science, its support from human genetic work as well as the clear commercial opportunity were key factors in our decision to back Step and co-lead this significant financing. We very much look forward to working with the great team at Step as this exciting programme moves into the clinic.”

 

“Step Pharma is a clear leader in CTPS1 research. They have made significant progress in advancing their 1st in class selective CTPS1 inhibitors toward clinical development and expanding the potential therapeutic applications,”

added Jacob L Moresco from Sunstone Life Science Ventures

“The closing of this Series B will enable Step Pharma to transform into a clinical-stage company, enabling us to advance our lead compound into the clinic in Q1 2022,”

said Andrew Parker, CEO of Step Pharma.

“We’d like to welcome our new investors and thank existing investors for their continued support of the company.”

Targeting CTPS1

Cytidine nucleotide triphosphate (CTP) is a precursor required for DNA synthesis and cell division. Patients deficient in the enzyme CTPS1 have an altered immune cell proliferation response to immune challenge but no other deleterious effects. This same pathway supports the uncontrolled growth of cancerous T and B cells, thus inhibiting CTPS1 represents a novel precision oncology approach to specifically block proliferation and induce killing of cancerous cells in lymphoma and leukemia.

+ DOWNLOAD PDF

About Step Pharma

Step Pharma is focused on the development of a novel class of oral nucleotide synthesis inhibitors targeting CTPS1 for the improved treatment of a range of cancer types. The company has identified several inhibitors of CTPS1, with the most advanced, STP938, being prepared for clinical studies in haematological malignancies.

Step Pharma was founded in June 2014 by Kurma Partners, the Imagine Institute, and Sygnature Discovery based on the scientific discoveries of Dr Sylvain Latour and Prof. Alain Fischer (UMR1163 Inserm unit). Step Pharma is based in Saint-Genis-Pouilly, France, and is supported by a strong investor base led by Kurma Partners and including Bpifrance (Fonds Biothérapies Innovantes et Maladies Rares and InnoBio2 Fund), Pontifax, Hadean Ventures, Sunstone Life Science Ventures, Inserm Transfert Initiative, Idinvest, Sygnature Discovery and the Imagine Institute.

For more information please contact

Step Pharma
contact@step-ph.com

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