The startup’s lead prospect stabilizes abnormal proteins in patients with amyloid “light chain” amyloidosis, an approach that could represent a step forward compared to current therapies.
In AL amyloidosis, plasma cells errantly make abnormal antibody parts known as “light chains,” which then misfold, clump up in tissues and damage organs. While there are certain options available, like a stem cell transplant, or a cocktail of cancer chemotherapies and the drug Darzalex, they each have limitations.
Bringing new prospects to market has proven frustrating for some of Protego’s peers, however. In May, disappointing study results led Prothena to shelve a therapy it had long been working on. Two months later, AstraZeneca said a drug it had acquired in a 2021 buyout fell short in a late-stage study, too.