Bionize Pharma

Bioniz is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing first-in-class multi-cytokine inhibitory peptides for the treatment of immuno-inflammatory diseases and cancer. The company's proprietary platform technology identifies functional domains of cytokine receptors shared by multiple cytokines, allowing for the design of peptides that selectively block groups of cytokines. Its lead program, EQ101 (formerly BNZ-1), is a first-in-class tri-specific inhibitor of IL-2, IL-9, and IL-15, currently being evaluated for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and alopecia areata. Bioniz was acquired by Equillium in 2022 to bolster its pipeline of novel immunotherapies. The company's approach addresses the redundancy of cytokine signaling, potentially offering superior efficacy over single-cytokine inhibitors.