Tvardi’s TTI-101 Receives $5 Million in Grant Funding to Support Clinical Trials and Translational Research

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tvardi Therapeutics Inc. (“Tvardi”), a privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of STAT3 inhibitors, announced today over $5 million in non-dilutive grants to support the ongoing validation and clinical development of Tvardi’s lead compound, TTI-101. The three National Cancer Institute (NCI) funding awards are two Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) grants to support clinical trials of TTI-101 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and gastrointestinal cancer as well as funding from the PREVENT program to support translational work of TTI-101 in HCC prevention.

The new funding brings the total non-dilutive support of TTI-101 to approximately $20 million from multiple sources including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), V Foundation and the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT).

“These grants are rigorously peer-reviewed and validate the scientific foundation of Tvardi's STAT3 inhibitor program. Our ability to serve our patients' needs has been greatly enhanced by strong collaborations with the academic community and private sector. TTI-101 has the potential to help millions of patients suffering from STAT3-related diseases,” said Ronald DePinho, M.D., Tvardi’s Co-Founder and Director.

“Our success to date stems from a strong team effort of dedicated, innovative scientists coming together to solve a major unmet need. To date, TTI-101 has demonstrated an excellent safety profile and, importantly, the ability to shrink tumors in patients who have no other options,” shared Imran Alibhai, Ph.D., CEO of Tvardi.

About Tvardi Therapeutics, Inc.

Tvardi is a privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing small molecule inhibitors of STAT3. STAT3 is a key regulatory protein positioned at the intersection of many signaling pathways integral to the survival and immune evasion of cancer cells as well as to the pathogenesis of many inflammatory and fibrotic diseases. STAT3 has long been recognized as a prime target for oncology as it has a dual mechanism in promoting the growth of tumors. Early clinical studies have shown that the company’s lead asset in cancer, TTI-101, is well tolerated and has clinical activity. To learn more, visit www.tvardi.com.

For more information about the ongoing trial of TTI-101, please visit ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03195699).