Lestoni

Lestoni Corp is a biotechnology company based in Richmond, Virginia, dedicated to the discovery and development of small molecule therapeutics for oncology. Established in 2006, the company focuses on two primary areas: hypoxia-activated prodrugs and synthetic analogs of marine-derived cytotoxic peptides. Its research portfolio includes tirapazamine-based strategies for treating liver cancer and hemiasterlin derivatives, such as BF65, which target tubulin to inhibit tumor cell growth. Lestoni has engaged in significant academic collaborations with institutions in Taiwan and Italy to advance its pipeline of antimitotic agents and hybrid drug candidates. Although the company was a recipient of federal therapeutic discovery grants, it currently operates with a minimal public footprint.