ERX-41 / EtiraRx, UT Health San Antonio - LARVOL DELTA

Optimization of the LIPA targeting agent for the treatment of ovarian cancer (AACR 2025) - "Recent findings indicate that elevated basal levels of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in OCa represent a significant vulnerability and identified LIPA as a novel target for inducing ERS in cancer cells with the oligobenzamide ERX-41. These findings suggest that ERX-208 is a promising candidate as a therapeutic agent in OCa treatment. Since a related analog of ERX-208, ERX-315 is in clinical trials, these data strongly support the evaluation of ERX-208 in patients with OCa."

Gynecologic Cancers • Oncology • Ovarian Cancer • Solid Tumor • HSPA5

Enhancing endoplasmic reticulum stress for treating endocrine therapy resistant breast cancers driven by mutant estrogen receptors (SABCS 2023) - "To enable clinical translation of ERX-41, we performed lead optimization, followed by preclinical and IND-enabling studies...Explants, organoids, cell line-(CDX) and patient-derived (PDX) xenografts were used to test the ex vivo and in vivo effectiveness of our lead compound as a monotherapy and in combination with abemaciclib...We have shown that this capacity of ERX-315 to induce endoplasmic reticulum stress is unique among drugs targeting ERα, including selective ERα modulators and degraders, such as GDC-0180, AZD-9496 and fulvestrant... We have identified a lead compound ERX-315, which represents a novel class of agent that induce catastrophic levels of ER stress resulting in cancer cell death and that can effectively work against multiple forms of ETR-BC, including those driven by MT-ERα. Preclinical studies, GMP manufacturing, formulation and IND-enabling studies are being completed in time for the commencement of the phase I clinical trial by Q1 2024."

Breast Cancer • Hormone Receptor Breast Cancer • Oncology • Solid Tumor • ER

"Wow. My local paper on erx-41! @etirarx @gr8straj" (@rushmorealum)

Scientists discover new molecule that kills hard-to-treat cancers - "To investigate the ERX-41 molecule...worked with collaborators, including co-corresponding authors Dr. Ganesh Raj...was involved in synthesising the compound."

Promising compound kills range of hard-to-treat cancers by targeting a previously undiscovered vulnerability (UT Southwestern Medical Center) - "'Our discovery was serendipitous and largely a result of 'following the science.' We identified a new molecular target and a new vulnerability in cancer cells, and a new therapeutic agent directed against this vulnerability,' said study leader Ganesh Raj, M.D., Ph.D..."

Media quote

EtiraRx's Licensed ERX-41 Identified as a Potential New Oral Therapy for Multiple Cancers, Company Prepares for Clinical Trials (PRNewswire) - "A scientific team, led by the scientific founders of EtiraRx, has identified a small molecule, ERX-41, as a novel oral therapeutic agent that may have utility in treating multiple solid cancers, including triple negative breast cancer, glioblastoma, ovarian and pancreatic cancers. EtiraRx, headquartered in Biolabs Pegasus Park, plans to initiate clinical trials as early as the first quarter of 2023....ERX-41 dramatically enhances endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in cancer cells. Since aggressive cancer cells have higher basal levels of ER stress, the enhanced ER stress induced by ERX-41 is not compensated and causes cancer cell death."

New trial • Preclinical • Brain Cancer • Breast Cancer • Gastrointestinal Cancer • Glioblastoma • Gynecologic Cancers • Oncology • Ovarian Cancer • Pancreatic Cancer • Solid Tumor • Triple Negative Breast Cancer