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Welcome to today’s Biotech Spotlight, a series highlighting companies that are creating groundbreaking technologies and products. Today we introduce Ensho Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing an oral version of an IBD treatment.
Nina Bitritt-Garg, Founder, President and Chairman, Ensho Therapeutics
Used with permission from Ensho Therapeutics
focus: Neena Bitritto-Garg, founder, president and chairperson of Ensho Therapeutics;
Company Vision: Ensho aims to develop an oral α4β7 inhibitor that could be a groundbreaking treatment for inflammatory bowel disease by controlling the regulation of T-cell-driven inflammatory responses in the intestine. Officially launched at the end of June, Ensho has hit the ground running, initiating a Phase 2 clinical trial program for IBD after acquiring a portfolio of oral α4β7 integrin inhibitors from Eisai’s gastrointestinal subsidiary EA Pharma.
Why is this important: Currently, the only α4β7 inhibitors on the market are administered via injection or infusion, and an oral administration option would create a differentiated alternative in the market.
“There’s a real opportunity here to have an asset that could be transformative in the IBD field,” Bitritto-Garg said. “We see great promise around α4β7 in particular.”
Ensho isn’t the only company in the race to develop an oral drug. Acquired by Eli Lilly The company, which was acquired this month for $3.2 billion, is studying an oral α4β7 integrin inhibitor in two Phase 2 clinical trials for ulcerative colitis and one Phase 2 clinical trial for Crohn’s disease. Gilead Oral α4β7 inhibitors are also in mid-stage trials.
“We’ve already far exceeded the interest we were hoping for. We’re going to raise a lot more money than we originally anticipated.”
Nina Bitrit Garg
Founder, President and Chairman of Ensho Therapeutics
Here are some of the deals happening in the IBD space over the past few months: AbbVie’s $250 million acquisition Celsius Therapeutics Another $138 million in acquisitions Landos Biopharma is developing two drugs to treat IBD. Roche is The deal to acquire Roivant subsidiary Theravant and its promising IBD candidate RVT-3101 for $7 billion.
A strong start: Ensho plans to develop its lead ulcerative colitis drug candidate, NSHO-101, following positive results from a Phase 1 trial conducted by EA Pharma. The license agreement also includes three other assets, and Vitrit Garg said Ensho’s “scientific team will investigate the properties of the three compounds following lead NSHO-101 and explore potential opportunities for those assets.”
Enshaw has assembled a strong leadership team to guide candidates to the next stage.
Bitrit Garg is a veteran in the world of biotechnology and biopharmaceutical equity research having previously worked at JP Morgan Chase, Deutsche Bank and Citigroup, where he served as Head of US Biotechnology Equity Research, and has also worked on the industry side in business development for Eisai.
The company’s executive team includes heavyweights who Vitrit Garg calls “IBD’s world-class management team.”
In fact, three of the company’s executives are former executives at Theravant, including CEO Bitto Kanwal, the company’s former chief medical officer, who is also partnered with Pfizer.
“The team we’re building under him is essentially the team he’s been building for the last 15 years or so,” Bitritto-Garug said.
The Road Ahead: Eli Lilly announced its deal with Morphic just days after Enshow’s launch, which helped the startup raise its first funding round, generating excitement and interest. In fact, Bitrit Garg said the company has raised its initial fundraising goal multiple times.
“We’ve already far exceeded the interest we hoped for,” she said. “When I look back at our original goal, it makes me laugh a little bit because it looks like we’re going to raise a lot more money than we originally anticipated.”
Vitrit Garg said that once Series A is complete, the company’s focus will “shift 100% to initiating Phase 2a trials with our lead compound, NSHO-101.”
Bitrit Garg said the company aims to begin a Phase 2a trial in the first half of 2025 and a Phase 2b trial in the second half of 2025 for ulcerative colitis.
“We’re going to continue enrolling as quickly as we can,” she said, “and we anticipate having phase 2a data in 2026.”
