Fortitude Biomedicines, Inc. has announced that its lead programme is a first-in-class T-cell targeting bispecific antibody for the potential treatment of axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA).
AxSpA is a chronic, debilitating inflammatory disease affecting the axial skeleton. It impacts more than 1.8m people in the US and more than 50m patients worldwide. The disease typically begins in younger adults under the age of 40 and is characterized by persistent inflammatory back pain, stiffness, and enthesitis (inflammation of tendons and ligaments attached to the bone). Without timely and effective treatment, AxSpA can lead to progressive structural damage and long-term functional impairment. This not only diminishes patients’ quality of life but also contributes to loss of productivity and places a significant economic burden on families and the healthcare systems.
The company said its lead programme in development for treatment of AxSpA has shown promising preclinical biological activity, with selective and durable suppression of disease-driven T-cell signalling pathways in preclinical animal models and is expected to enter the clinic in first half of 2027.
“With more than 50% of AxSpA patients unable to achieve adequate disease control, there continues to be a large unmet need in management of this disease. We are excited with the promising preclinical activity seen with our lead programme,” said Jesse Chen, president and CEO of Fortitude.
“As a board-certified rheumatologist and experienced drug developer, Rahul’s addition to the leadership team will provide critical support in the strategic clinical advancement of our therapeutic programmes.”