SLBST Pharma

SLBST is developing a robust therapeutic platform for treatment of endometriosis, based on modulating the inflammatory axis. Our lead candidate (entering Phase 2b trials) is a re-purposing of the well-known immunomodulatory drug HCQ. SLBST has four additional candidates at the pre-clinical stage. SLBST holds issued US and European method-of-treatment patents for “use of HCQ in an amount appropriate to treat endometriosis”. The company anticipates pursuing both composition-of-matter and method-of-treatment patent claims on its successful pre-clinical candidates. Our total addressable market is vast with a significant unmet need. Endometriosis affects 1-in-10 women worldwide, including 7.4M women in the US and 13.1M women in Europe. All existing treatments are hormonal, but three-quarters of women surveyed express dissatisfaction. The latest generation of endo therapies, the GnRH antagonists (including elagolix & relugolix), are used by fewer than 20,000 women in the US (or <0.3% of patients). None of the current therapies are compatible with pregnancy. HCQ has been used for over six decades. It is the standard of care for lupus (SLE) patients and 84% of the 1.4M lupus patients in the US currently take HCQ on a long-term basis. It has an excellent safety and tolerability record when used according to the existing label (despite getting a somewhat tarnished reputation due to reckless off-label covid usage). It is not contra-indicated during pregnancy. Our preclinical work with HCQ for endo was conducted in the 2012-2014 time frame.