Phire

Phire is seeking to develop a novel bispecific T-cell engaging antibody in order to transform current hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) practice into an immunologic precision-medicine approach. HSCT is a powerful intervention to cure life-threatening diseases of the blood and immune system, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

For a successful transplant of blood stem cells, the patient’s diseased blood needs to be removed to make room for donor stem cells and to ensure engraftment and regeneration of the donor system in the patient’s body. Removing the patient’s own blood is the first step in a transplant and is called the “conditioning phase.” Today, this conditioning phase requires intensive chemotherapy and in some cases radiation – with severe side effects. These side effects prevent the majority of elderly and frail patients from receiving a transplant.

To establish the new therapeutic paradigm, Phire will initially focus on treating patients with AML. If successful, however, the bispecific antibody may be beneficial not only for the treatment of AML, but also for a variety of other hematological conditions, as it will revolutionize the way HSCT is performed. Our approach will therefore facilitate regenerative medicine on a larger scale. Not only AML patients, but every patient with a diseased blood system who might be cured by removing, replacing, or regenerating the hematopoietic system can benefit from our technology. Phire’s goal is to build a catalyst that makes regenerative medicine possible.