VENT-04

VENT-04 is a first-in-class, orally bioavailable, allosteric small-molecule inhibitor of caspase-4 and caspase-5, developed by Ventus Therapeutics. Discovered using the proprietary ReSOLVE® platform, VENT-04 targets the noncanonical inflammasome pathway, which plays a critical role in dysbiosis, bacteria-induced IL-18 expression, and pyroptotic cell death. In preclinical models, the drug has demonstrated the ability to protect against gut barrier disruption and inhibit downstream inflammatory effectors such as TNF-α and LCN2. VENT-04 was nominated as a development candidate in January 2026 and is currently in IND-enabling studies for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), severe asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).