WTX-518

WTX-518 is a conditionally activated IL-18 INDUKINE molecule developed by Werewolf Therapeutics for cancer immunotherapy. It is designed as an IL-18 pro-drug that becomes active specifically within the tumor microenvironment, where it selectively delivers binding protein resistant (BPR) IL-18. This design allows WTX-518 to resist suppression by the endogenous inhibitor IL-18BP, leading to robust immune activation and complete tumor regression in preclinical mouse models. The drug promotes increased influx and activation of natural killer (NK) cells and polyfunctional CD8 T cells within tumors, overcoming key hurdles previously associated with cytokine-based cancer therapies[1][3][5][8].