DrugCendR

DrugCendR (now Cend Therapeutics, a subsidiary of Lisata Therapeutics) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on enhancing the delivery of anti-cancer drugs to solid tumors. The company utilizes its proprietary CendR platform to develop iRGD-based peptides that activate a specific transport pathway, allowing co-administered therapies to penetrate the dense stroma of the tumor microenvironment. Its lead candidate, LSTA1 (formerly CEND-1), is designed to bind to integrins and neuropilin-1 to trigger this trans-endothelial and tissue penetration process. By improving the accumulation of chemotherapies and immunotherapies within the tumor, the company aims to increase efficacy while reducing systemic toxicity. DrugCendR's technology is currently being evaluated in multiple Phase 2 clinical trials for pancreatic cancer and other difficult-to-treat solid tumors.