Introduction

Inthera Bioscience AG is a Swiss biotech company which develops novel small chemical molecules that act as inhibitors of cellular processes that are essential to tumor cells.

Inthera has selected to target biological characteristics which are of fundamental importance in cancer cells characterized by a high replication and proliferation rate.

Currently in late preclinical development, the lead molecule INTH-454 is a new chemical entity that effectively targets such tumor cells by binding to the Negative Elongation Factor complex of transcription (NELF). Through targeting the NELF complex, INTH-454 interferes with cellular checkpoints of transcription, causes replicative stress and inhibits DNA synthesis, causing death of tumor cells.