ISLEX Therapeutics

ISLEX Therapeutics develops antibody therapeutics aimed at the zinc transporter ZnT8, an islet-specific autoantigen implicated in the autoimmune attack that causes type 1 diabetes. Its work follows from mAb43, a monoclonal antibody raised against cell-surface ZnT8. Its stated target population is people who already have clinically overt stage 3 type 1 diabetes rather than only those at risk. The program is preclinical and grant-funded through a National Science Foundation small-business award of 275,000 dollars in 2024 and a National Institutes of Health award for preclinical development of the antibody. Shumei Yun is principal investigator on both. ISLEX is close to T1D-exclusive, though it notes the approach could extend to other causes of severe beta-cell loss, including latent autoimmune diabetes in adults.

Location

Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.