Why Rock Immune?
Leading Drug Candidate
Leading Drug Candidate
Leading Drug Candidate
Rock425 (CCR4-IL2 IT) is genetically engineered to contain both anti-human CCR4 scFv and human IL2 fused to truncated diphtheria toxin. It is expressed using a proprietary diphtheria toxin-resistant P. pastoris yeast expression system. CCR4-IL2 IT has demonstrated promising preclinical efficacy in a mouse model of human CTCL and out-p
Rock425 (CCR4-IL2 IT) is genetically engineered to contain both anti-human CCR4 scFv and human IL2 fused to truncated diphtheria toxin. It is expressed using a proprietary diphtheria toxin-resistant P. pastoris yeast expression system. CCR4-IL2 IT has demonstrated promising preclinical efficacy in a mouse model of human CTCL and out-performs current forms of therapy including Ontak® (IL2 IT) and Adcetris®.
Non-Dilutive Funding
Leading Drug Candidate
Leading Drug Candidate
$2.4M NCI STTR Fast Track grant awarded in July 2021. This grant is supporting GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) manufacturing and GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) pharmacology and toxicology studies leading to the submission of an IND (Investigational New Drug) application to the FDA in 2024.
$250K Colorado Advanced Industries Accelerat
$2.4M NCI STTR Fast Track grant awarded in July 2021. This grant is supporting GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) manufacturing and GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) pharmacology and toxicology studies leading to the submission of an IND (Investigational New Drug) application to the FDA in 2024.
$250K Colorado Advanced Industries Accelerator Early-Stage Capital and Retention Grant awarded in August 2021. This grant is supporting business development activities including patent filings
Partnership
Leading Drug Candidate
Partnership
We are always open to partnering or collaborating with an industry partner, licensor, or acquirer to carry-out proprietary manufacturing and additional clinical trials of our CCR4-IL2 IT leading to FDA approval and commercialization. We are initially seeking $10M in equity capital financing to complete phase 1b/2a clinical trials of our CCR4-IL2 IT.
Rock Immune Team
Zhirui Wang, DVM, PhD Founder and President
Zhirui Wang, DVM, PhD Founder and President
Zhirui Wang, DVM, PhD Founder and President
Prof. of Surgery
Expertise:
Development
of diphtheria toxin-based
immunotoxins using
diphtheria toxin resistant
yeast expression system
(20+ year experience)
Richard C. Duke, PhD Acting CEO
Zhirui Wang, DVM, PhD Founder and President
Zhirui Wang, DVM, PhD Founder and President
Prof. of Medicine and Grohne Chair of Cancer Research, UC Cancer Center. Serial Entrepreneur: (GlobeImmune, ApopLogic, MenoGeniX, Aurora Oncology) Other experience: (Janus Capital)
William M. Bracken, PhD Toxicology Advisor
Zhirui Wang, DVM, PhD Founder and President
William M. Bracken, PhD Toxicology Advisor
Pharmaceutical toxicologist
with 35 years
of industry experience in
Alcon Laboratories &
AbbVie
Rock Immune Summary
Rock Immune was founded by Dr. Zhirui Wang in 2020. Dr. Wang has worked in the diphtheria toxin-based recombinant immunotoxin field for 20+ years. Dr. Wang completed his post-doctoral training in Dr. David Neville’s immunotoxin lab at the NIH and worked at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School for 11 years before joining the University of Colorado in 2018. Rock Immune’s mission is to develop and commercialize diphtheria toxin-based recombinant immunotoxins developed in Dr. Wang’s laboratory. We are initiating GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) manufacture of our lead candidate Rock425 in 2Q2023 and hope to complete IND ( Investigational New Drug) enabling studies in 1Q2024. Rock425 is a bispecific immunotoxin (CCR4-IL2 IT) that specifically targets cells expressing CCR4 and/or CD25 which are expressed on several forms of T cell lymphomas and regulatory T cells. Our initial clinical target is refractory/recurrent cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL). Our long-term vision is to grow Rock Immune into a leading drug development company with a platform of diphtheria toxin-based immunotoxins. We have three more valuable immunotoxin drug candidates under development.
