SelectION

SelectION, Inc. operates as a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, founded in 2017 by Andreas Klostermann and headquartered in San Diego, with a research and development subsidiary in Germany. The company focuses on developing peptide therapies to treat autoimmune diseases and specific cancer indications by targeting chronically activated T cells. Its business model centers on the discovery and clinical development of these novel drugs. SelectION has raised a total of $15.9 million in funding over two rounds, with investors including SDL Ventures and Global Source Ventures.

Andreas Klostermann, the founder and Chief Scientific Officer, has over 15 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry and previously founded conoGenetix biosciences GmbH. The CEO, Antonius Schuh, who is also a co-founder, brings over 25 years of executive leadership in life sciences and is a Managing Partner at Global Source Ventures, one of the company's key investors. This combined expertise in both the scientific and business aspects of biopharmaceuticals drives the company's strategy.

SelectION's core technology is a screening and development platform used to create highly selective peptide blockers for ion channels. This platform utilizes peptide structures from the toxins of venomous animals as a foundation to design molecules that can target specific ion channels like potassium, sodium, calcium, and chloride channels. The company's lead drug candidate, si-544, is a highly selective blocker of the Kv1.3 potassium channel, which is crucial for the activation of effector memory T (TEM) cells. These cells are implicated in numerous autoimmune diseases, including atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis. By targeting only the disease-associated TEM cells, si-544 aims to offer a treatment that avoids compromising the patient's overall immune system. The company has successfully completed a Phase 1b clinical trial for si-544 in patients with atopic dermatitis, demonstrating a favorable safety and tolerability profile, and is advancing into further clinical trials for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

Keywords: peptide therapeutics, ion channel blockers, autoimmune diseases, Kv1.3 inhibitor, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical, T cell mediated diseases, si-544, atopic dermatitis treatment, psoriasis treatment, immuno-selective therapy, peptide screening platform, drug development, venom-derived peptides, effector memory T cells, rare cancers, chronic inflammation, selective peptides, biopharmaceutical funding, Andreas Klostermann, Antonius Schuh