Tizona Therapeutics

What Tizona Therapeutics does

Tizona Therapeutics is a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class cancer immunotherapies that target novel immune-suppression pathways in the tumor microenvironment. Founded in 2015 by MPM Capital with scientific co-founders from Johns Hopkins, Harvard, and Memorial Sloan Kettering, the company is headquartered in South San Francisco, California and operates with a small team of 11-50 employees. Its lead asset, TTX-080, is a first-in-class, fully human monoclonal antibody targeting HLA-G that blocks interactions with the ILT2 and ILT4 receptors to reverse immune tolerance and activate both innate and adaptive anti-tumor immunity; TTX-080 is currently in Phase 1b clinical development in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (mHNSCC), and is being evaluated both as monotherapy and in combination with cetuximab, pembrolizumab, and FOLFIRI. Earlier programs include TTX-030, a first-in-class anti-CD39 antibody that was partnered with AbbVie and spun off into a separate entity in 2020, plus preclinical anti-CCR4 and IL-35 programs and TZ-040.

The company's business model is licensing- and partnership-driven rather than commercial: as a pre-revenue clinical-stage biotech, Tizona monetizes through upfront payments, milestones, and potential royalties from pharmaceutical collaborators, while its operating geographies to date are limited to North America with clinical trial sites across the United States. Its strategic capital structure is dominated by Gilead Sciences, which invested $300 million in July 2020 for a 49.9% equity stake and holds an exclusive option to acquire the remainder of the company for up to $1.25 billion in option fees and milestones, while AbbVie retains rights in the spun-off CD39 program following a $105 million upfront payment in 2019. The company is led by CEO Christine O'Brien (appointed 2020) and a leadership team drawn primarily from Amgen, BMS, Celgene, AstraZeneca/MedImmune, Kite Pharma, and Arcus Biosciences, and it engages the medical and scientific community through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at conferences such as ASCO and SITC.

Name

Tizona Therapeutics

Legal name

Tizona Therapeutics, Inc.

Website

https://tizonatx.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tizona Therapeutics is a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class monoclonal antibody immunotherapies that target novel immune checkpoints (HLA-G and CD39) to treat metastatic colorectal cancer, head and neck cancer, and other advanced solid tumors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Immunotherapy (Biopharmaceuticals)

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Monoclonal Antibody Therapeutics (mAbs) (HLAAAAAA)

Keywords

• Cancer immunotherapy
• Monoclonal antibodies
• Oncology therapeutics
• Immune checkpoint inhibitors
• Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical

Headquarters

HQ city

South San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Partnership and Licensing Revenue: Pre-revenue clinical-stage biotech generating income through strategic partnerships, upfront payments, milestone payments, and potential royalty streams from pharmaceutical collaborations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Tizona Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing first-in-class monoclonal antibody immunotherapies that target novel immune suppression pathways in cancer. Its lead clinical program TTX-080 is an anti-HLA-G antibody in Phase 1b trials for metastatic colorectal cancer and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The company also has pipeline programs targeting CD39, CCR4, and IL-35 pathways, and monetizes its assets primarily through strategic partnerships and licensing deals with large pharmaceutical companies.

Product overview

Tizona Therapeutics is a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class cancer immunotherapies. The company's pipeline is focused on restoring and bolstering immune responses against cancer. Lead product TTX-080 is a first-in-class anti-HLA-G antibody in Phase 1b clinical development for metastatic colorectal cancer and other advanced solid tumors. The company previously developed TTX-030 (anti-CD39), which was spun off before the Gilead acquisition. Additional programs include anti-CCR4 and IL-35 targeting molecules in various stages of development. Tizona collaborates with Gilead Sciences (majority ownership) and previously partnered with AbbVie on the CD39 program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TTX-080 First-in-class, fully human monoclonal antibody that specifically binds HLA-G to block its interactions with ILT2 and ILT4 receptors on immune cells, reversing immune tolerance and activating both innate and adaptive anti-tumor immunity. In Phase 1b clinical trials for metastatic colorectal cancer and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, with demonstrated activity in low-TMB tumors.
• Anti-CCR4 Monoclonal Antibody Program Anti-CCR4 monoclonal antibody designed to induce anti-tumor activity by depleting regulatory T cells (Tregs) that establish immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments.
• IL-35 Modulation Program Discovery-stage programs targeting IL-35, an immunosuppressive cytokine predominantly expressed by regulatory T cells (Tregs), intended to reverse immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment with potential applications in autoimmune diseases.

Quantifiable outcome

• Median progression-free survival (PFS) of 24.4 weeks in WT RAS/BRAF/HER2-negative mCRC patients treated with TTX-080 plus cetuximab
• +5 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• AbbViecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 January 2019Global strategic collaboration to develop and commercialize CD39-targeted therapeutics, including TTX-030. Tizona received $105M upfront payment. AbbVie has exclusive option to lead global development and commercialization after Phase 1b. Tizona retains option to co-develop and co-promote in US and eligible for milestones and royalties.
• ProBioGensupportingTechnology or Integration · 1 October 2015Commercial license and service agreement for cell line and process development using ProBioGen's GlymaxX technology to enhance ADCC activity of immuno-oncology antibodies. ProBioGen developing stable cell line and GMP manufacturing for Tizona's lead antibody.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Compugen: Clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing computationally-discovered novel immune checkpoint targets (e.g., PVRIG, TIGIT). Directly comparable to Tizona in pursuing first-in-class antibody therapies against novel checkpoint pathways distinct from PD-1/PD-L1.
• Arcus Biosciences: Clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing multiple checkpoint and TME-targeting antibodies (anti-TIGIT, anti-PD-1, adenosine axis). Closely comparable to Tizona in pursuing combinations of novel IO agents with established checkpoint inhibitors in solid tumors.
• Surface Oncology: Clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing antibodies targeting the tumor microenvironment, including IL-27 and regulatory T-cell pathways. Comparable to Tizona's mechanistic focus on novel immune suppression pathways and TME modulation.
• Werewolf Therapeutics: Clinical-stage oncology company developing novel immunotherapies using INDUCER technology to selectively activate immune responses in the tumor microenvironment. Comparable as a small-cap IO biotech with multiple preclinical/early-clinical assets.
• Pionyr Immunotherapeutics: Clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing antibodies that target myeloid cells and the tumor microenvironment. Comparable to Tizona in pursuing novel IO mechanisms beyond traditional PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoints.
• Bolt Biotherapeutics: Clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing immune-stimulating antibody conjugates (ISACs) that combine tumor-targeting antibodies with immune agonists. Comparable as a small-cap antibody-based IO company with novel mechanism approaches.
• Celldex Therapeutics: Clinical-stage biotechnology company developing antibody-based immunotherapies for cancer, including targets in the TME. Comparable to Tizona in its pipeline focus on novel IO antibody targets and partnership-driven development model.
• Jounce Therapeutics: Clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing novel cancer immunotherapies including ICOS agonist and T-cell targeting antibodies. Directly comparable to Tizona in focus on first-in-class IO antibody mechanisms; subsequently went private via Concentra Biosciences acquisition.

Emerging players

• Apexigen: Clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing novel antibody therapeutics including CD40 agonists. Comparable to Tizona as a small-cap IO antibody developer, though Apexigen's lead asset targets a different (co-stimulatory) pathway.

Broad incumbents

• Gilead Sciences: Large biopharmaceutical company and Tizona's majority owner (49.9% equity stake with buyout option). Comparable as the strategic partner funding Tizona's pipeline and a broad oncology player with immuno-oncology assets including Trodelvy and Yescarta.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tizona-therapeutics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors8 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tizona Therapeutics