– First-in-human trial of PS-1001 planned to initiate in 2027 –
BOSTON and SINGAPORE, June 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Paratus Sciences (“Paratus”), a global biotechnology company decoding evolution to develop first-in-class medicines for serious diseases, today presented new preclinical and translational data on its lead therapeutic candidate, PS-1001, at the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS) Annual Meeting, taking place June 9–12, 2026, in San Francisco, CA.
The data indicate PS-1001 is a potent, long-acting inflammasome inhibitor, and support its therapeutic promise for a wide range of chronic inflammatory diseases. Paratus is advancing PS-1001 toward a first-in-human trial in 2027.
“Current therapies for inflammatory diseases often target individual cytokines or pathways. Yet many patients with inflammatory conditions remain inadequately controlled, underscoring the need for upstream approaches that can address inflammation at its source,” said Mark Cockett, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Paratus. “By inhibiting ASC, PS-1001 delivers simultaneous IL-1β and IL-18 suppression across all inflammasome sensors — a profile not achievable with single cytokine blockers or NLRP3 inhibitors. We’re excited to continue progressing PS-1001 toward the clinic as a new approach to treating diseases driven by excessive inflammasome activation.”
PS-1001 is a VHH-Fc fusion protein designed to target ASC, a central scaffold protein required for inflammasome assembly and signaling. Paratus identified ASC as a potential therapeutic target through comparative genomics studies of multiple bat species. Rather than acting on a single cytokine, PS-1001 is designed to interrupt inflammasome signaling at a shared regulatory node, upstream of IL-1β and IL-18 release. PS-1001 has been shown to act via two distinct mechanisms: preventing formation of new inflammasome complexes and disassembling existing complexes, both inside and outside cells, to help dampen the spread of inflammation.
Key data from the company’s poster presentation, titled “Validating the ‘Bat Engine’ for Target Discovery: PS-1001, a First-in-Class Pan-Inflammasome Inhibitor Inspired by Evolutionary Biology,” include:
- In vitro studies in inflammasome-activated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) found that PS-1001 potently inhibits IL-1β and IL-18 release.
- In vivo studies in mouse models of psoriasis, gout, and colitis found that PS-1001 significantly reduced disease pathology and inflammation.
- In Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) patient-derived lesional skin explants, PS-1001 showed potent IL-18 inhibition and a broader cytokine suppression profile than a comparator biologic, confirming tissue penetration and target engagement.
- Studies in non-human primates showed that subcutaneous administration of PS-1001 was well tolerated, and PK/PD modeling supports potential for extended human dosing intervals of up to three months.
About Paratus
Paratus is decoding evolution to discover and develop first-in-class medicines for serious diseases where today’s therapies fall short. The company integrates evolutionary biology, AI-powered discovery and deep multi-omic data to uncover biologically validated pathways that can inform new medicines. Paratus is advancing PS-1001, a first-in-class pan-inflammasome inhibitor and its lead program, toward first-in-human studies, alongside a broader pipeline of differentiated therapeutic programs in cardiometabolic and immunologic diseases.
Paratus is headquartered in Boston, Mass., with research operations in Singapore. Visit paratussciences.com or follow us on LinkedIn to learn more.
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Ten Bridge Communications
lisa@tenbridgecommunications.com
