LUND, SE / ACCESS Newswire / November 9, 2026 / Cantargia AB (publ) (STO:CANTA), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on antibody-based therapeutics targeting IL1RAP, today announced IL-17 as the second target for the bispecific antibody CAN14.
"With CAN14, we aim to raise the bar for treating chronic inflammation by targeting multiple disease-driving pathways in a single antibody. Combining our IL1RAP expertise with the clinically validated IL-17 pathway gives us a strong foundation to develop a differentiated therapy for patients who need better treatment options," said Hilde Steineger, CEO of Cantargia.
CAN14 is a preclinical bispecific antibody generated from the CANxx discovery engine and built on the scientific foundation established through CAN10. It is designed to block IL-1, IL-33 and IL-36 signaling through IL1RAP while also targeting IL17.
Chronic inflammatory diseases are rarely driven by a single pathway. They persist through networks of cytokines that reinforce one another, and this redundancy helps explain why many patients do not achieve complete or lasting responses with current single-pathway therapies. This is the main opportunity with IL1RAP as a target in inflammation, blocking three pathways with one drug. With CAN14, Cantargia expands on this concept by combining inhibition of IL1RAP-mediated signaling with IL-17 inhibition in a single molecule.
IL-17 is one of the most clinically validated targets in immunology, with approved therapies across several chronic inflammatory diseases. Published research has demonstrated functional interplay between IL-17 and IL-1 family cytokines, particularly IL-1 and IL-36, with these pathways reinforcing one another in inflammation. This provides a strong biological rationale for combining IL1RAP and IL-17 inhibition, with the potential to achieve deeper control of disease-driving inflammation than targeting either pathway alone.
By developing CAN14, we thus combine our deep knowledge of IL1RAP biology and antibody development with a clinically validated inflammatory pathway. This positions us in an attractive area of biologics development and may create future partnering opportunities. The program is currently advancing through preclinical development.
For further information, please contact
Hilde Steineger, CEO
Telephone: +46 (0)46-275 62 60
E-mail: info@cantargia.com
About Cantargia
Cantargia AB (publ), reg. no. 556791-6019, is a biotechnology company developing antibody-based therapies for life-threatening diseases by targeting IL1RAP, a protein implicated in multiple cancer indications and inflammatory diseases. The Company's lead program, nadunolimab, is in clinical development in multiple cancer indications including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, myelodysplastic syndrome, acute myeloid leukemia, and non-small cell lung cancer. In September 2025, Otsuka Pharmaceutical completed its acquisition of the Company's second program, CAN10, which blocks IL1RAP signaling through a distinct mechanism and was developed for serious autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. CAN10 was discovered through CANxx, Cantargia's antibody discovery engine, which is now advancing next-generation IL1RAP-directed candidates, including bispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates, in preclinical development.
Cantargia is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (ticker:CANTA). More information about Cantargia is available at https://cantargia.com.
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Cantargia Announces IL-17 as Second Target for Bispecific CAN14 Antibody
SOURCE: Cantargia
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/healthcare-and-pharmaceutical/cantargia-announces-il-17-as-second-target-for-bispecific-can14-antib-1248770
