CYT-108

CYT-108 is a recombinant variant of the endogenous alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M) blood serum protein, engineered to enhance its affinity for specific proteases implicated in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. This biologic drug is designed to provide both highly specific and broad-spectrum inhibition of proteases that degrade cartilage in arthritic joints. Unlike small molecule inhibitors that typically target a single protease, CYT-108’s dual mechanism aims to protect joint tissue by inhibiting multiple enzymes responsible for cartilage breakdown. Developed by Cytonics, it is administered via intra-articular injection and represents a potential first-in-class disease-modifying therapy for osteoarthritis. The drug builds on Cytonics’ prior success with the Autologous Protease Inhibitor Concentrate (APIC) system, which uses autologous A2M but requires blood extraction from patients; CYT-108 offers an “off-the-shelf” alternative produced at industrial scale[1][2][4][5][6][8].