Mestag Therapeutics

Mestag Therapeutics designs antibody therapies for cancer and inflammatory diseases around fibroblast immunology, the idea that activated fibroblasts play an important and often overlooked role in driving the immune system's response. The company's programs aim to restore immune function for patients who do not benefit from current treatments, and it advances antibodies directed at stromal and immune-cell targets.

Its lead program, MST-0312, is a bispecific antibody designed to generate a specialized immune response against cancer cells through the formation of tertiary lymphoid structures in solid tumors. A second program, M402, comprises agonist antibodies targeting a stromal inhibitory receptor to dampen an over-active immune system in inflammatory disease, including rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and lupus.