Resolve Therapeutics

Resolve Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology firm focused on developing therapies for autoimmune diseases by targeting extracellular nucleic acids. The company was established in 2010 as a spin-out from the University of Washington, founded by James Posada, who also serves as CEO. The foundational technology was discovered in the laboratories of Dr. Keith Elkon and Dr. Jeffrey Ledbetter at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

The company's central business strategy is to advance its drug candidates through early-stage clinical trials to demonstrate proof-of-concept. Following successful early clinical data, Resolve Therapeutics plans to partner with larger pharmaceutical companies for late-stage development and commercialization. This capital-efficient model has been supported by investors such as New Science Ventures, Easton Capital, and WRF Capital. The company has raised approximately $16.7 million through various funding rounds to advance its clinical programs.

Resolve's lead product candidate is RSLV-132, a non-immunosuppressive biologic drug. It is engineered as a fusion protein, combining catalytically active human RNase1 with the Fc region of human IgG1. This design allows the drug to circulate in the bloodstream and digest pathogenic extracellular RNA, which is a key trigger for the production of type I interferons that drive inflammation in autoimmune diseases like Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Sjögren's syndrome. By removing this trigger, RSLV-132 aims to reduce chronic inflammation and alleviate disease symptoms without suppressing the patient's overall immune system.

The company serves patients with significant unmet needs in the autoimmune disease market. RSLV-132 has undergone multiple clinical trials, including a Phase 2a study in lupus patients and a Phase 2 trial for primary Sjögren's syndrome. While a Phase 2a trial in lupus showed mixed results, failing to meet its primary endpoint across the entire study population, it did show trends toward clinical improvement in a subgroup of patients with more severe disease activity. The company is also exploring the drug's efficacy in treating long COVID and has initiated an observational study in polytrauma patients.

Keywords: Resolve Therapeutics, autoimmune disease, lupus treatment, Sjögren's syndrome, RSLV-132, biologic drug, clinical-stage biotechnology, James Posada, University of Washington spin-out, nuclease therapy, extracellular RNA, interferon pathway, Fc fusion protein, non-immunosuppressive, inflammation, clinical trials, pharmaceutical partnering, venture capital, New Science Ventures, long COVID therapy