Sling Therapeutics
Sling Therapeutics: A biopharmaceutical firm specializing in late-stage thyroid eye disease solutions.
Founded
2020Sling Therapeutics: A biopharmaceutical firm specializing in late-stage thyroid eye disease solutions.
Linsitinib inhibits IGF-1R, which the company describes as the only validated clinical target in thyroid eye disease and the only target addressed by currently approved therapies. As a twice-daily oral small molecule with a short half-life, it is designed to remove the infusion-schedule and injection burden that existing biologic options impose. The asset also carries prior clinical exposure across more than 900 patients treated in fifteen trials in multiple disease areas.
In the Phase 2b/3 LIDS trial, the 150 mg twice-daily dose produced a 52 percent proptosis responder rate at Week 24 with statistical significance, and no drug-related hearing impairment was reported. Rates of hyperglycemia and menstrual cycle changes, key adverse-event areas of interest for the IGF-1R class, were low, and no QTc prolongation was observed under continuous ECG monitoring. The company argues this safety differentiation against anti-IGF-1R monoclonal antibodies, combined with oral convenience, could allow treatment earlier and more broadly in the disease course.
Source: slingtx.com
Thyroid eye disease is a serious, progressive, and vision-threatening autoimmune condition estimated to affect more than 200,000 people in the United States, predominantly women with Graves' disease. Before January 2020 no approved medical therapy existed, and the standard of care has remained invasive orbital surgery or lengthy infusion regimens with adverse events such as hearing loss and hyperglycemia. Approved biologic therapies are administered intravenously or by injection across multiple clinical visits.
Sling Therapeutics develops linsitinib, an oral small-molecule inhibitor of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) in late-stage clinical development for thyroid eye disease. The lead candidate is being evaluated in the pivotal Phase 3 ORBIT trial, a randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled study in approximately 130 adults with moderate-to-severe active TED. Participants receive 150 mg of oral linsitinib or placebo twice daily for 24 weeks, with the primary endpoint being the proportion of proptosis responders at Week 24.
The treatment field is expanding quickly. Viridian Therapeutics won FDA approval of Lumvoa (veligrotug) in June 2026, Amgen reported a Phase 3 primary-endpoint win for a subcutaneous version of teprotumumab (AMG 732), and pipeline candidates include elegrobart (VRDN-003), lonigutamab, and satralizumab. The company describes linsitinib as the first and only oral IGF-1R inhibitor in Phase 3 development for TED, a positioning analysts cite in projections of a rapidly growing Graves' ophthalmopathy market, while an early oral BET inhibitor in Phase 1 signals additional future oral competition.
Source: slingtx.com
Linsitinib is not approved as a marketed product, and the company notes that clinical trials are required by the FDA before general availability. The program holds FDA Fast Track designation, which brings more frequent regulatory interactions and eligibility for rolling review, accelerated approval, and priority review where criteria are met. The therapy is positioned for patients who would otherwise face invasive orbital surgery or extended infusion courses.
Source: slingtx.com