RyboDyn Receives $1.3M Department of War Grant for Cancer Therapies
Biotechnology firm RyboDyn has secured a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of War to advance its novel antibody therapies for lung cancer into preclinical development.
San Diego, CA – RyboDyn, Inc., a biotechnology company, announced a $1.3 million award from the U.S. Department of War (DOW) to advance the preclinical development of two novel antibody-based therapies for lung cancer. The funding, awarded through the competitive Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), will support the company's antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) and T-cell engager (TCE) programs.
These programs target two previously undiscovered cell-surface proteins identified directly from patient tumors. RyboDyn utilized its AI-powered RyboCypher™ platform and CypherAtlas™ knowledgebase to pinpoint these new therapeutic targets. The company's strategy focuses on identifying novel targets from patient biology before drug design, aiming to overcome limitations of traditional approaches that often pursue well-characterized targets with variable patient presence or healthy tissue expression.
The DOW's funding supports RyboDyn's effort to generate therapeutic candidates against both targets, characterize their biological activity, and advance the programs through in vivo proof-of-concept studies. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in the United States and disproportionately affects military service members and veterans due to various occupational hazards and historical smoking rates.
RyboDyn's approach aligns with the DOW's mission to improve treatment options for service members and veterans. By expanding the pool of novel therapeutic targets, the company seeks to develop first-in-class medicines for patients with limited effective options.