Shrewsbury, MA, September 17, 2026 – The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded SignaBlok, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel peptide antagonists of cell receptors, a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to develop a new therapeutic approach for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
SignaBlok’s approach to IBD therapy targets TREM-1,
a cell-surface receptor that has emerged as a promising therapeutic target in
inflammation. As an amplifier of inflammatory responses, TREM-1 is implicated
in IBD, cancer, arthritis, retinopathy, fibrosis, and other inflammatory
conditions. Of particular relevance to IBD, targeting TREM-1 delivers not only
anti-inflammatory and inflammation-resolving effects, but also anti-fibrotic activity.
Two of SignaBlok’s proprietary technologies
will be utilized under the grant “New TREM-1 therapy for inflammatory bowel
disease”:
·
Ligand-independent
inhibition of cell receptors using short synthetic peptides, known as the
SCHOOL technology.
This approach is designed to address the challenge of targeting multi-ligand
receptors such as TREM-1 using conventional approaches, including decoy
receptors and antagonistic monoclonal antibodies. ·
Nature-inspired
nanotechnology for macrophage-targeted drug delivery. This technology is
designed to enable selective inhibition of TREM-1 on macrophages while
minimizing effects on neutrophils and monocytes, with the goal of reducing the
risk of immunosuppression.
The NIH funding will support in vivo
testing of SignaBlok's lead TREM-1 antagonist formulation in two animal models
of IBD. Previous preclinical studies of this formulation demonstrated excellent
tolerability, lack of immunogenicity and favorable pharmacokinetic and
biodistribution profiles. This funding could ultimately lead to development of
a transformative drug for IBD that is devoid of the safety concerns associated
with current therapeutic approaches.
“This award from the NIDDK / NIH reinforces the
promise of SignaBlok's core platform technologies,” said Alexander Sigalov,
Ph.D., President and Founder of SignaBlok. “We have established animal proof of
concept (POC) for TREM-1 antagonist SCHOOL peptide formulations across multiple
preclinical disease models, including cancer, retinopathy, arthritis, lung
fibrosis, sepsis, and other inflammatory conditions. With NIDDK funding, we aim
to establish preclinical POC for IBD and accelerate the development of novel
mechanism-based TREM-1 antagonist as a potential first-in-class therapy for
patients with IBD."
References:
About IBD: IBD, which primarily includes Crohn’s
Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, is characterized by a chronic non-resolving inflammation
of the gastrointestinal tract and affects between 2.4 and 3.1 million adults
and children in the US. Despite substantial advances in treatment, there is
currently no cure for IBD, highlighting the need for new therapeutic
approaches.
About
SignaBlok: SignaBlok,
Inc. is a late preclinical stage biopharma company that develops first-in-class
peptide-based TREM-1 and TREM-2 therapeutics, radiopharmaceuticals, companion
diagnostics, and theranostics to address innate inflammation in multiple
diseases. SignaBlok also specializes in targeted nanodelivery of SCHOOL
peptides and other therapies and/or imaging agents. Additional information is
available at www.signablok.com.
SignaBlok’s Contact: Alexander
Sigalov, Ph.D., President, Inventor and Founder: (203) 505-3807; sigalov@signablok.com
