# Nested Therapeutics

> Nested Therapeutics is a Cambridge, Massachusetts clinical-stage biotech building small-molecule precision oncology drugs that go after cancer driver mutations long written off as undruggable. Founded in 2021 and launched publicly in 2022 with $125M, the company pairs structural biology, computational biophysics and chemistry to find hidden, druggable pockets in cancer's most stubborn targets. Its lead program, NST-628, is a brain-penetrant pan-RAF/MEK molecular glue for RAS/MAPK-driven solid tumors, now in Phase 1 with early clinical activity reported at AACR 2026.

- **Founded:** 2021
- **Headquarters:** Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- **Founders:** Arvin Dar (Scientific Co-Founder (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center)), Kevan Shokat (Scientific Co-Founder (UCSF/UC Berkeley, HHMI)), Klaus Hoeflich (Scientific Co-Founder)
- **Team size:** ~16 employees
- **Products:** NST-628, p53 Pathway Program, Discovery platform
- **Notable:** Launched in October 2022 with $125M total financing ($35M Versant + $90M Series A)., Advanced first program NST-628 from concept into Phase 1 clinical trials., Presented preclinical NST-628 data in AACR's 'New Drugs on the Horizon' series at the 2024 AACR Annual Meeting.

## Products & services

- **NST-628** — Lead program: a non-degrading, brain-penetrant pan-RAF/MEK molecular glue that stabilizes RAF-MEK complexes in a catalytically inactive state to shut down RAS/MAPK signaling and prevent the pathway reactivation that defeats earlier-generation inhibitors. In Phase 1 for MAPK-driven solid tumors.
- **p53 Pathway Program** — Development-stage, mutation-selective allosteric small molecule targeting a frequently mutated transcriptional regulator (p53 pathway), with a lead compound engaging a novel cryptic pocket.
- **Discovery platform** — An integrated approach combining structural biology, computational biophysics, chemical biology and machine learning to map mutation clusters and find druggable / cryptic pockets in targets considered overlooked or undruggable.

## Achievements

- Launched in October 2022 with $125M total financing ($35M Versant + $90M Series A).
- Advanced first program NST-628 from concept into Phase 1 clinical trials.
- Presented preclinical NST-628 data in AACR's 'New Drugs on the Horizon' series at the 2024 AACR Annual Meeting.
- Reported initial clinical activity at AACR 2026: 38% response rate and 85% disease control rate at the recommended dose in heavily pretreated NRAS and BRAF Class II/III melanoma.
- Built around scientific co-founders including Kevan Shokat, known for landmark work on KRAS.

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Reported initial encouraging clinical activity and favorable tolerability for NST-628 at AACR 2026; 38% response and 85% disease control at recommended dose in pretreated NRAS/BRAF Class II/III melanoma (data cutoff Feb 1, 2026, 69 patients dosed).
- **2024-04** — Presented preclinical NST-628 data in the 'New Drugs on the Horizon' series at the 2024 AACR Annual Meeting.
- **2024-02** — Strengthened board of directors with a new chair (John A. Orwin) and additional directors.
- **2022-10** — Emerged from stealth with $125M financing to pursue precision cancer therapies.

## Links

- Website: https://nestedtx.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nestedtx
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/nestedtx

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/nested-therapeutics
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Last updated: 2026-06-13