Circle Pharma

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Overview

Circle Pharma is a South San Francisco-based biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles, targeting challenging therapeutic areas. Established with the mission to address unmet clinical needs, Circle Pharma leverages its proprietary MXMO™ platform to engineer macrocycle therapeutics, becoming a pioneer in the area of cyclin-targeted cancer therapies. The company's development efforts mainly focus on cyclin proteins, which are pivotal regulators of cell cycle progression, thus playing a significant role in cancer proliferation.

Recent Developments

  • October 2024: Circle Pharma began the dosing of the first patient cohort in their Phase 1 clinical trial of CID-078, their first-in-class oral cyclin A/B inhibitor, aimed at treating advanced solid tumors, including cancers with elevated E2F transcription factor activity.

    • The trial will evaluate CID-078's safety, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary anti-tumor activity, with results expected in 2025.
  • September 2024: Circle Pharma announced the completion of a $90 million Series D financing round led by The Column Group, with continued support from investors such as Nextech Invest and Euclidean Capital. This funding is intended to support the clinical development of CID-078 as well as further pipeline advancement.

  • July 2023: The company selected CID-078 for clinical development, marking it as a significant milestone as the first dual inhibitor candidate for Cyclins A and B.

  • October 2023: Circle Pharma presented significant preclinical data at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference demonstrating the efficacy of its cyclin A/B inhibitor macrocycles in preclinical studies involving breast cancer, specifically targeting models of triple-negative and luminal B breast cancers.

Company Information

AttributeInformation
Founding DateInformation not publicly available
HeadquartersSouth San Francisco, California, USA
FoundersInformation not publicly available
RevenueInformation not publicly available
ProfitsInformation not publicly available
Key InvestorsThe Column Group, Nextech Invest, Euclidean Capital
IndustryBiopharmaceuticals
Number of EmployeesInformation not publicly available

Early History

Circle Pharma was established with the vision of advancing macrocycle drug discovery, a challenging field due to the complex nature of cell permeability and drug delivery. The company's early years were dedicated to developing their proprietary MXMO™ platform, which bases itself on structure-based rational drug design and advanced synthetic chemistry. This platform allowed Circle Pharma to create a unique portfolio of therapies, initially focusing on cyclin-targeted treatments due to their extensive role in cell cycle regulation and oncogenesis.

Company Profile and Achievements

Circle Pharma has become synonymous with innovation in macrocycle therapeutics. Their proprietary MXMO™ platform allows the development of orally available therapies that are cell-permeable and selective.

  • Macrocycle Specialization: Their macrocycles have emerged as a vital innovation, especially due to their ability to target proteins previously considered 'undruggable'.
  • Cyclin A/B Inhibitors: The pioneer inhibitor CID-078 is known for its dual action on cyclins A and B, promoting synthetic lethality selectively in cancer cells with dysregulated cycles.
  • Clinical Pipeline: CID-078 has progressed from promising preclinical outcomes to Phase 1 trials, making it a leading candidate in cancer therapeutics.
  • Collaborative Research: In addition to their internal developments, collaborations, such as with Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology, showcase significant advancements in breast cancer treatment research using their cyclin inhibitors.
  • Investment and Financing: Major financing rounds, such as the $90 million Series D led by prominent investors, highlight confidence in their research capabilities and market potential.

Current Operations and Market Position

Circle Pharma is actively conducting clinical trials and furthering scientific research to position its CID-078 as a revolutionary cancer therapeutic. The company's competitive edge lies in its innovative macrocycle platform, allowing for the targeting of complex protein interactions in cancer therapy that were once considered challenging. Circle Pharma is significantly contributing to oncology, with its eye on transforming cancer treatment paradigms using macrocycle therapeutics. While concrete data on market share is unavailable, the recent funding and clinical advancements place Circle Pharma competitively among innovators in oncology research.

Conclusion

Circle Pharma stands at the forefront of biopharmaceutical innovation, leveraging its macrocycle therapeutic platform to tackle some of the most challenging areas in cancer treatment. Through strategic investments and groundbreaking trials, the company is poised to advance the boundaries of cancer therapy by addressing targets previously deemed undruggable. As they continue their clinical trials and explore new partnerships, Circle Pharma's influence in oncology and macrocycle drug development is expected to expand, potentially setting new standards for cancer treatments globally.

References

  1. Business Wire on Circle Pharma's Clinical Trials
  2. Circle Pharma Achieves Milestone
  3. Synapse Article on IND Submission
  4. Pipeline Review of Clinical Trials
  5. PharmaCompass Funding Recap
  6. Morningstar on Financing