SSTX-002

SSTX-002 is a preclinical small-molecule drug candidate being developed by ALTx Therapeutics, a portfolio company of the Slingshot Accelerator. It targets multiple novel components within the Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) pathway. The ALT pathway is a telomere maintenance mechanism used by approximately 10-15% of cancers, particularly those that do not express telomerase, such as certain sarcomas and glioblastomas. By inhibiting specific proteins involved in this pathway, SSTX-002 aims to selectively induce senescence or apoptosis in ALT-dependent cancer cells while sparing normal cells that rely on telomerase or do not require active telomere maintenance. The program was founded based on research from Dr. Simon J. Boulton at the Francis Crick Institute and is currently in the lead optimization stage.