2
Clinical Candidates
Company Profile · Immuno-Oncology · Clinical Stage
Teon
Therapeutics
Rewiring cancer's own metabolism - one oral, once-daily pill at a time.
Rewiring cancer's own metabolism - one oral, once-daily pill at a time.
Teon Therapeutics is a privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company in Redwood City, California, developing a focused portfolio of small molecules that inhibit the immunosuppressive and cancer-promoting signaling pathways in the tumor microenvironment. Rather than attacking a tumor directly, Teon goes after the biochemical fog around it - the metabolic signals that switch off the immune system's ability to fight.
The premise is a stubborn statistic: only about 12% of patients with solid tumors benefit from today's immunotherapy drugs. Teon designs GPCR-directed therapies - drugs aimed at G-protein coupled receptors - to reverse that immune suppression and give the body's own defenses a way back into the fight. And it delivers them as pills. The stated goal is to let patients take a once-daily oral medication at home instead of spending hours in an infusion chair.
"Restore anti-tumor immunity with once-daily, oral cancer medications."- Teon Therapeutics, on its mission
A first-in-class, oral, once-daily adenosine A2B receptor antagonist. Adenosine is a metabolite tumors exploit to suppress immune cells; blocking its A2B receptor aims to lift that brake. First patient dosed in partnership with Cancer Research UK.
A first-in-class oral CB2 receptor antagonist acting as a novel immune checkpoint inhibitor - promoting T-cell infiltration of "cold" tumors and stimulating NK-cell killing. Studied alone and in combination with Merck's KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab).
Checkpoint inhibitors changed oncology, but the benefit is uneven. In many solid tumors the microenvironment stays "cold" - immune cells are locked out or switched off by metabolic signaling. Teon's thesis is that unlocking those metabolic pathways can widen who responds.
The chart is illustrative of the problem Teon frames publicly: a large majority of solid-tumor patients still do not benefit from existing immunotherapy.
Source: Teon Therapeutics public materials. Figures approximate, for illustration.
Teon's founding scientists were primary inventors of Lexiscan, the only FDA-approved selective adenosine therapeutic - work tied to Gilead's acquisition of CV Therapeutics. That adenosine and GPCR expertise is now aimed squarely at oncology.
Both candidates are oral and once-daily by design. Against a landscape dominated by infused biologics, Teon's small-molecule, at-home approach is a distinct bet on patient experience as much as mechanism.
Where competitors like Corvus Pharmaceuticals, Arcus Biosciences, and iTeos Therapeutics also pursue the immunometabolic axis, Teon narrows its focus to two first-in-class GPCR targets - A2B and CB2 - and runs lean. It is a capital-efficient program, not a sprawling platform.
Teon operates the classic clinical-stage biopharma model: develop proprietary first-in-class molecules through early trials on venture equity and non-dilutive research partnerships, then create value at clinical milestones through pharma collaboration, licensing, or acquisition. Its $30M Series A (2021) was led by Oceanpine Capital with Oriza Ventures and Lifespan Investments; total funding is reported near $37M.
The market it plays in - combination immuno-oncology for hard-to-treat solid tumors - is one of the largest and most competitive in pharma. Teon's position is that of a specialist supplier of novel mechanisms that can extend the reach of existing checkpoint inhibitors, exemplified by the TT-816 + KEYTRUDA combination study.
Lina Yao and co-founders launch the company in Redwood City to target immunosuppressive signaling in the tumor microenvironment.
Series A led by Oceanpine Capital; Teon initiates the Phase 1/2 trial of adenosine A2B antagonist TT-702.
First patient treated in the Phase 1/2 trial of CB2 antagonist TT-816; Cancer Research UK doses the first TT-702 patient.
TT-816 evaluated as monotherapy and with Merck's KEYTRUDA in the SEABEAM (MK3475-E88) trial.
Ran the first-in-human Phase I/II trial of TT-702 through its Centre for Drug Development, dosing the first patient in hard-to-treat solid cancers.
TT-816 is studied in combination with Merck's PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA) in the SEABEAM / MK3475-E88 trial.
It is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing oral, once-daily small-molecule drugs that block immunosuppressive signaling in the tumor microenvironment to restore anti-tumor immunity.
TT-702, a first-in-class adenosine A2B receptor antagonist, and TT-816, a first-in-class cannabinoid CB2 receptor antagonist - both in Phase 1/2 clinical trials.
It was founded in 2018 by Lina Yao (Founder, President and Interim CEO/CSO) with co-founders including Peter Fan, Elfatih Elzein, and Jim Liu - veterans of adenosine and GPCR drug development.
Teon completed a $30 million Series A in February 2021 led by Oceanpine Capital, with total funding reported around $37 million.
Its headquarters are at 555 Twin Dolphin Drive, Redwood City, California, 94065.
Video & demos: search "Teon Therapeutics" on YouTube for conference talks and BIO Investor Forum sessions, or view the BIO Investor Forum session. A dedicated product demo video was not publicly confirmed at time of writing.