# Glycyx

> Glycyx is a San Francisco biopharmaceutical company developing axelopran, an orally administered peripheral mu-opioid receptor antagonist, to counter opioid-induced immunodeficiency in cancer patients. Roughly 45% of immunotherapy patients take opioids for pain, and studies link that use to sharply worse outcomes on checkpoint inhibitors. Axelopran blocks opioid signaling on immune cells - without touching pain relief - to restore T-cell infiltration into tumors and make 'cold' tumors respond to immunotherapy. The company is Phase 2b-ready with an active IND and has drawn NIH SBIR grant support.

- **Founded:** 2020
- **Headquarters:** San Francisco, United States
- **Founders:** Justin Chickles (CEO & Co-Founder), Lorin Johnson (Chief Scientific Officer & Co-Founder), David Taggart (Chief Business Officer & Co-Founder)
- **Team size:** ~3 employees (core team)
- **Products:** Axelopran
- **Notable:** Advanced axelopran to Phase 2b-readiness with an active IND (April 2024), Assembled 544-patient safety dataset showing excellent tolerability and no severe adverse events, Secured an NIH SBIR Phase II grant (September 2025) for a Phase 2 trial with pembrolizumab in R/M HNSCC

## Products & services

- **Axelopran** — An orally administered, peripherally restricted mu-opioid receptor antagonist that blocks opioid signaling on immune cells without affecting pain relief, restoring T-cell infiltration into tumors and enhancing checkpoint inhibitor efficacy across solid tumors.

## Achievements

- Advanced axelopran to Phase 2b-readiness with an active IND (April 2024)
- Assembled 544-patient safety dataset showing excellent tolerability and no severe adverse events
- Secured an NIH SBIR Phase II grant (September 2025) for a Phase 2 trial with pembrolizumab in R/M HNSCC
- Published UPMC-linked research on opioid suppression of checkpoint inhibitors
- Produced clinical-grade drug supply for upcoming trials

## Latest updates

- **2025-09** — Awarded NIH SBIR Phase II grant to advance a Phase 2 trial of axelopran with pembrolizumab in recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
- **2024-04** — Achieved active IND status for axelopran, reaching Phase 2b-readiness.
- **2023-07** — Raised a $3.5M Series A tranche to fund clinical development.

## Links

- Website: https://glycyx.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/glycyx

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/glycyx
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-11