On April 17, 2026 Soley Therapeutics, a biotechnology company advancing novel therapeutics informed by integrated cell stress biology, reported the presentation of new preclinical data at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2026 highlighting the anti-tumor activity of STX-6398, a first-in-class, oral small-molecule modulator of cytoskeleton-associated protein 2 (CKAP2) pathway. CKAP2 is an intrinsically disordered protein that has been historically considered undruggable and is central to malignant progression.
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"STX-6398 is one of several potential first-in-class candidates rapidly found using our discovery platform," said Yerem Yeghiazarians, M.D., Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Soley. "CKAP2 is implicated in multiple aspects of malignant progression, and its role across tumor types makes it an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. The preclinical profile of STX-6398, including biomarker-linked activity, oral dosing, and in vivo tolerability, supports continued evaluation as a potential therapeutic approach in CKAP2-expressing cancers."
Preclinical studies of STX-6398 demonstrate selective anti-tumor activity. In a 300-tumor cell line panel, sensitivity to STX-6398 correlated with CKAP2 protein abundance across cancer types, supporting a biomarker-linked therapeutic approach in both hematologic and solid tumors. Mechanistic studies showed that STX-6398 modulates CKAP2-associated pathways, including focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling, resulting in reduced cell migration, disruption of microtubule dynamics, and induction of cell cycle arrest. Additional studies demonstrated inhibition of angiogenesis and maintenance of activity under hypoxic conditions.
In vivo, oral administration of STX-6398 demonstrated significant anti-tumor activity across multiple xenograft models, including lung and colon cancer, with dose-dependent tumor growth inhibition and regression. The compound was well tolerated in efficacy studies and demonstrated a favorable profile in preclinical safety assessments.
The poster presented at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2026 titled "CKAP2 Modulation With A Novel Small Molecule Results In Excellent In Vitro And In Vivo Anti-Tumor Activity" is available in the Publications section of the Company’s website at View Source
The poster titled "CKAP2 Modulation With a Novel Small Molecule Results in Excellent In Vitro and In Vivo Anti-Tumor Activity" will be presented at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2026 on April 20 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM PDT in Poster Section 15, Poster Number 3043.
(Press release, Soley Therapeutics, APR 17, 2026, View Source [SID1234664475])