Ventus Therapeutics announced that its novel VENT-03 drug—a cyclic guanosine monophosphate–adenosine monophosphate synthase (cGAS) inhibitor—has advanced to a phase I clinical trial to investigate its efficacy in systemic and cutaneous lupus erythematosus, according to a press release from the Lupus Foundation of America. After receiving funding from the U.S. Department of Defense through the Lupus Research Program Idea Award, Ventus Therapeutics began research on VENT-03 as a potential treatment for lupus. Since the program’s inception in 2017, it has raised over $76 million in funding for lupus-related research projects aimed at more effectively diagnosing and treating lupus.
May 25, 2023