Gesynta Pharma

Gesynta Pharma is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for chronic inflammatory diseases by targeting microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1). The company was established in Sweden in 2017, founded by a team including Patric Stenberg, Ralf Morgenstern, Gunilla Ekstrom, Charlotte Edenius, Per-Johan Jakobsson, and Urban Paulsson. Its scientific foundation stems from research conducted at the Karolinska Institutet, particularly the work of co-founder Per-Johan Jakobsson, who was instrumental in discovering the mPGES-1 enzyme. The company's business model revolves around the clinical development and subsequent commercialization or out-licensing of its drug candidates. Gesynta has secured significant funding to advance its pipeline, including a Series B round that totaled SEK 347 million, with backing from prominent investors like Industrifonden, Hadean Ventures, Linc, and Innovestor Life Science.

The company’s lead drug candidate is vipoglanstat (GS-248), an oral, non-hormonal small molecule being developed for endometriosis, a chronic inflammatory condition affecting approximately 10% of women of reproductive age. Endometriosis currently lacks adequate treatments for many patients. Vipoglanstat functions by selectively inhibiting mPGES-1, an enzyme that is upregulated in endometriotic lesions and drives the production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), a key mediator of both pain and inflammation. By reducing PGE2 levels, vipoglanstat aims to provide pain relief and potentially modify the disease's progression, a claim supported by preclinical studies showing a reduction in lesion size. Following successful Phase I and II trials demonstrating a favorable safety profile, vipoglanstat is being prepared for a Phase II trial specifically in endometriosis patients, expected to start in 2025. The company acquired the foundational assets for vipoglanstat from Orexo AB in 2017, which had originated from Boehringer Ingelheim.

In addition to its lead program, Gesynta Pharma is advancing a second-generation mPGES-1 inhibitor, GS-073. This candidate shares the same mechanism of action as vipoglanstat and is poised to enter Phase I clinical trials for the treatment of chronic inflammatory pain. This dual-asset pipeline allows Gesynta to leverage its deep expertise in the mPGES-1 pathway to address multiple areas of unmet medical need where targeted anti-inflammatory action could offer significant benefits over existing therapies.

Keywords: mPGES-1 inhibitor, endometriosis treatment, vipoglanstat, GS-248, chronic inflammatory disease, non-hormonal therapy, prostaglandin E2, Karolinska Institutet, clinical-stage pharma, pelvic pain, drug development, life science, Hadean Ventures, Industrifonden, anti-inflammatory pharmaceuticals, GS-073, Orexo AB, Patric Stenberg, pain relief medication