Faeth Therapeutics Raises $20M Seed Funding for Cancer Treatment

The Potential of "Precision Nutrition" in Cancer Treatment

Imagine enjoying a familiar dish, like pad thai, and discovering it’s not merely sustenance, but a component of your medical treatment. This scenario is at the heart of Faeth Therapeutics’ innovative approach to battling cancer.

Faeth Therapeutics is pioneering a cancer-fighting strategy centered around personalized nutrition. Their method involves tailoring meals to specifically target and “starve” tumors, working in synergy with conventional cancer drugs and therapies. This novel “precision nutrition” concept, while still emerging, is the focus of Faeth Therapeutics, which was established in 2019, and their ambition is to be the first to translate this approach into clinical practice.

The Genesis of Faeth Therapeutics

“The company’s foundation stemmed from three independent teams of leading scientists independently recognizing a significant oversight in cancer biology and treatment,” explains Anand Parikh, founder and CEO of Faeth Therapeutics, in an interview with TechCrunch.

“I often describe it as a ‘Manhattan Project’ for cancer biology. Each group approached the problem from a different angle, but converged on the understanding that nutritional interventions are crucial – both to enhance existing therapies and to facilitate the development of new treatments targeting metabolic vulnerabilities.”

Securing Funding for Innovation

Faeth Therapeutics recently announced a $20 million seed funding round on Tuesday. This marks the first external investment for the 15-person company. The round was jointly led by Khosla Ventures and Future Ventures, with participation from S2G Ventures, Digitalis, KdT Ventures, Agfunder, Cantos, and Unshackled.

A Distinguished Scientific Team

A key strength of Faeth Therapeutics lies in its exceptional scientific advisory team. Faeth’s co-founders include: Siddhartha Mukherjee, acclaimed author of “The Emperor of All Maladies” (recipient of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction) and an oncologist at Columbia University; Lewis Cantley, director of Weill Cornell’s Meyer Cancer Center and the discoverer of the PI3K signaling pathway; and Karen Vousden, chief scientist of Cancer Research UK and group leader at the Francis Crick Institute. Vousden is renowned for her research on the p53 tumor suppressor protein.

Cantley and Vousden have been at the forefront of investigating the link between metabolism and cancer treatment.

Targeting Metabolic Vulnerabilities

The PI3K pathway, for instance, is a cellular signaling cascade that regulates metabolism, growth, survival, and proliferation, and is frequently disrupted in cancer. While drugs exist to target this pathway, Cantley’s research indicates that some patients experience hyperglycemia as a result, potentially reactivating the dysregulated pathway. He has demonstrated that reducing insulin levels through dietary adjustments can prevent this reactivation and improve drug efficacy. A mouse study published in “Nature” revealed that a ketogenic diet (low-carbohydrate, high-fat) could diminish glycogen stores and prevent spikes that might hinder the drug’s effectiveness.

While preclinical results have been encouraging, further research is essential, as Mukherjee acknowledges. Parikh emphasizes the potential for refining this research and adopting a more targeted approach to nutrition-based medicine.

“Many have taken a broad approach – for example, applying a keto diet to glioblastoma. However, there’s a deeper level of nuance,” he explains. [Note: the keto diet has been utilized in some glioblastoma cases].

“In the case of pancreatic cancer, we’ve identified increased nutritional needs, particularly for certain amino acids. Consequently, we formulate diets that are specifically deficient in those amino acids.”

Expanding Research Capabilities

A primary goal for Faeth Therapeutics, Parikh adds, is to utilize this funding to broaden and deepen its research efforts in this field.

The connection between nutrition and health is well-established, and nutrition demonstrably impacts cancer outcomes. However, this area of research is often met with skepticism, as it can easily veer into unsubstantiated claims. Importantly, Faeth Therapeutics is not promoting a “miracle diet” or a “dietary cure” for cancer. Instead, the company aims to scientifically investigate how nutrition can become a “fifth pillar” of cancer care.

Upcoming Clinical Trials

Faeth is preparing to launch three clinical trials to validate the findings from its preclinical research. A trial for metastatic pancreatic cancer, combining a reduced amino acid diet with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel chemotherapy, is currently in development. The company also has a trial focused on metastatic colorectal cancer. Additionally, a trial investigating insulin-suppressing diets will be listed on clinicaltrials.gov in the coming weeks, according to Parikh.

If these connections prove robust, Parikh envisions a future of cancer care where carefully crafted meals (such as the aforementioned Pad Thai) and cancer drugs work synergistically to improve patient outcomes. Patients would continue to receive standard treatments like radiotherapy or chemotherapy, but would also receive doctor-prescribed meals delivered to their homes (Parikh notes that these meals are being developed by “world-class chefs”), with ongoing support from a nutritionist if needed.

For the immediate future, Parikh states that the primary focus will be on advancing this research into the clinical phase.

“The team has completed extensive preclinical work, and this funding will enable us to move into clinical trials. These early-stage trials will prioritize safety, but also seek to identify signals of efficacy,” he concludes.