Developing the next generation of treatments for prostate cancer

ESSA is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing novel and proprietary therapies for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is predominantly driven by the androgen receptor (AR). The current standard of care antiandrogen therapies target one end of the receptor (the ligand binding domain), which can eventually lead to treatment resistance. Our lead candidate, EPI-7386, is a highly selective, oral, small molecule that inhibits the N-terminal domain of the AR, which is located on the opposite end of the receptor and is not targeted by any antiandrogen therapy.

EPI-7386 is in development initially as a monotherapy for patients who have progressed on the second generation antiandrogen therapies. Additionally, EPI-7386 will be studied in combination with antiandrogen treatments in prostate cancer patients who are earlier in their course of the disease. Through deeper and broader inhibition of androgen-induced biology, combination therapy may provide additional benefit to prostate cancer patients than current antiandrogen therapy.