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Precision Therapy for Diabetes

Company Profile
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Islex Therapeutics, a biotechnology startup spun off from Johns Hopkins University, is dedicated to developing precision therapies for patients with type 1 diabetes, latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) and severe type 2 diabetes. The commonality among these insulin-dependent diabetes lies in the destruction of beta cells in the pancreatic islets, the sole source of insulin production in the body. Islex Therapeutics is a pioneer in the development of the world's only drug delivery platform specifically designed for targeted beta cell therapies. This groundbreaking platform is anchored in the discovery of an islet-specific cell-surface autoantigen, ZnT8. By harnessing the natural islet-homing ability of a cell-surface ZnT8 autoantibody, Islex Therapeutics re-engineers it to guide antibody-conjugated therapeutics to islets, enhancing drug efficacy within the islet microenvironment while minimizing off-target toxicity. Currently, the company is focused on preclinical development of islet-targeted immunoregulatory and regenerative therapeutics on a proprietary drug delivery platform, validating therapeutic candidates for future clinical testing.