- Appointment of Dr. Rahul Patel as Senior Vice President of Clinical Development strengthens leadership team and provides critical support to accelerate clinical development of lead program
WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--#ADC--Fortitude Biomedicines, Inc., (Fortitude) a leading biopharmaceutical company focused on immune cell targeting biologics and molecular glue payload–enabled antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) for the treatment of a wide range of autoimmune diseases and cancers, announced today that the Company’s lead program is a first-in-class T-cell targeting bispecific antibody for the potential treatment of Axial Spondyloarthritis (AxSpA). Appointment of Rahul Patel, MD, FACR, as Senior Vice President of Clinical Development strengthens the leadership team and accelerates clinical efforts advancing Fortitude’s therapeutic programs.
AxSpA is a chronic, debilitating inflammatory disease affecting the axial skeleton. It impacts more than 1.8 million people in the United States and more than 50 million patients worldwide. The disease typically begins in younger adults under the age of 40 and is characterized by persistent inflammatory back pain, stiffness, and enthesitis (inflammation of tendons and ligaments attached to the bone). Without timely and effective treatment, AxSpA can lead to progressive structural damage and long-term functional impairment. This not only diminishes patients’ quality of life but also contributes to loss of productivity and places a significant economic burden on families and the healthcare systems.
Fortitude’s lead program in development for treatment of AxSpA has shown promising preclinical biological activity, with selective and durable suppression of disease-driven T-cell signaling pathways in preclinical animal models and is expected to enter the clinic in first half of 2027.
“With more than 50 percent of AxSpA patients unable to achieve adequate disease control, there continues to be a large unmet need in management of this disease. We are excited with the promising preclinical activity seen with our lead program,” said Dr. Jesse Chen, President and CEO of Fortitude. “As a board-certified rheumatologist and experienced drug developer, Rahul’s addition to the leadership team will provide critical support in the strategic clinical advancement of our therapeutic programs.”
“I am pleased to join Fortitude, to coordinate with exceptional team members and to advance an innovative pipeline of therapeutics,” said Dr. Patel. “There remains a significant unmet need in rheumatology, including in AxSpA, for therapies that can advance the field further and potentially offer a higher bar of efficacy. I look forward to working with the Fortitude team as we advance to a clinical stage biotech ahead.”
About Fortitude Biomedicines
Fortitude Biomedicines is a private biotechnology company headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, pioneering next-generation immune cell targeting biologics and an antibody–drug conjugate (ADC) platform powered by proprietary molecular glue payloads. By integrating the precision targeting of ADCs with the catalytic power of targeted protein degradation, the company is developing transformative therapies with the potential to expand the therapeutic window of ADCs, overcome resistance mechanisms, and unlock new target space. Leveraging a robust discovery engine and an experienced team of drug hunters, Fortitude is building a differentiated pipeline of biologics and ADCs aimed at delivering meaningful benefits to patients with high unmet medical need.
Contacts
Investor Relations and Media Contact
IR@fortitudebio.com
