Branch Therapeutics, Inc.

Despite advances in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC), patients with advanced or metastatic disease have limited treatment options where resistance to targeted therapies limits their effectiveness. At Branch we are on a mission to target key drivers of cancer plasticity with multi-targeted kinase inhibitors. One such driver, the WNT pathway, is an outstanding therapeutic target, driving initiation and progression of nearly all CRCs. To date, targeting the pathway has been challenging because common CRC-causing mutations lie within the β-catenin destruction complex, which has no obvious intervention point. Moreover, small molecules known to inhibit the WNT pathway are limited by toxicities that may be related to WNT’s essential roles in stem cell maintenance. We believe we have a path forward to address these issues.