SSTX-003

SSTX-003 is a preclinical small-molecule inhibitor 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. Approximately 10-15% of cancers, including certain osteosarcomas, glioblastomas, and soft tissue sarcomas, utilize the ALT pathway to maintain telomere length instead of activating telomerase. By inhibiting specific proteins involved in this telomere maintenance mechanism, SSTX-003 aims to selectively induce senescence or apoptosis in ALT-dependent cancer cells while sparing normal cells. 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.