Aulos Bioscience is advancing AU-007, a computationally designed human IgG1 monoclonal antibody that selectively binds the CD25-facing portion of IL-2 to redirect IL-2 toward effector T cells and NK cells while avoiding Tregs, vasculature and eosinophils. AU-007 was created using Biolojic Design's machine learning algorithms and is the first human monoclonal antibody designed with AI to enter human clinical trials. The antibody is being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 study enrolling patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors at sites in the United States and Australia; interim ASCO 2023 data show AU-007 is well tolerated, with trends of decreased regulatory T cells and eosinophils and early signs of anti-tumor activity. Aulos expects to transition to the Phase 2 portion of the study in the fall and to present updated clinical data by year-end. Financially, Apple Tree Partners has remained the lead backer, committing additional capital to advance AU-007 into the Phase 2 portion of the trial. Aulos Bioscience was spun out from Biolojic Design with support from ATP and begins life with IL-2-binding monoclonal antibodies designed by Biolojic Design. The company’s antibodies are engineered to redirect IL-2 away from high-affinity regulatory T cells (Tregs) toward low-affinity effector T cells, aiming to minimize immune suppression while maximizing activation. Preclinical data in mice showed activation of memory phenotype CD8+ cells, natural killer and natural killer T cells, minimal effect on Tregs, superior efficacy in a melanoma model versus IL-2 alone, and a longer half-life for the antibody–IL-2 complex. Aulos plans to study the antibodies in solid tumors and move into human clinical trials this year. The startup begins operations with a $40 million funding commitment from ATP to enable clinical entry and pursuit of clinical proof-of-concept. ATP is described as a VC firm with $2.7 billion in committed capital that supported the spinout from Biolojic Design.

Total raised

$60M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Aug 2023