Octagon Therapeutics

Octagon Therapeutics was a preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company established to develop new medicines for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Founded in 2016 by Isaac Stoner and Fred Ausubel, the company's scientific basis originated from insights developed at Harvard University. Isaac Stoner, the CEO and Co-Founder, brought a background in biomedical engineering from Brown University, venture capital experience with firms like GlaxoSmithKline's Action Potential, and operational roles at other startups. This blend of technical and business experience shaped the company's strategy. Initially, Octagon focused on developing antibiotics for multi-drug resistant infections based on discoveries from Fred Ausubel's lab at Massachusetts General Hospital. The company later pivoted to autoimmune diseases, leveraging its understanding of glyco-immune checkpoint receptors.

The core of Octagon's approach was a selective immunomodulation platform designed to precisely target disease-driving immune processes while preserving healthy immune functions. This strategy aimed to overcome the significant drawback of many existing autoimmune treatments, which often cause broad immunosuppression, leaving patients vulnerable. The company's technology focused on restoring the activity of specific immune checkpoint receptors, such as Siglec-2, that are disrupted in autoimmune conditions, thereby resetting immune homeostasis. Its pipeline included a lead candidate, OCT50, a monoclonal antibody intended to suppress autoreactive B cells implicated in diseases like lupus and multiple sclerosis. Another program, OCT102, was at the target validation stage, designed to suppress inflammatory cytokines.

Octagon operated on a "build-to-buy" business model, concentrating on drug discovery and early-stage development with the strategic goal of being acquired by a larger pharmaceutical company for late-stage clinical development and commercialization. This model was supported by multiple funding rounds, including a Series A round for $11 million in January 2024, bringing its total raised capital to over $12 million. The company fostered strategic partnerships, most notably a multi-year research collaboration with Novo Nordisk to apply its discovery platform to cardiometabolic diseases. Despite making fundamental discoveries and assembling a strong team, Octagon Therapeutics announced it was winding down operations in April 2025. The decision was attributed to a "scientific no-go" following the deprioritization of its lead program and unresolved biological questions in another high-potential effort.

Keywords: autoimmune disease, inflammatory disease, immunomodulation, glyco-immune checkpoint receptors, B cell modulation, Siglec-2, OCT50, preclinical biopharma, drug discovery, build-to-buy, Isaac Stoner, Fred Ausubel, selective therapeutics, immune homeostasis, autoreactive B cells, monoclonal antibody, Novo Nordisk collaboration, cardiometabolic disease, lupus treatment, multiple sclerosis research