- CEO
- Richard T. Ho
- Sector
- Healthcare
- Industry
- Biotechnology
- Address
- The Canadian Venture Building Toronto ON Canada M5C 1P1
- IPO Date
- Sep 28, 2009
- Business
- Cotinga Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that develops targeted therapies for cancer and other unmet medical needs using its proprietary artificial intelligence platform, CHEMSAS, which employs predictive computer models to identify small-molecule drug candidates from disease-specific discovery through preclinical testing. The company offers lead product candidate COTI-2, an oral small molecule with a p53-dependent mechanism that activates the tumor suppressor gene p53 mutated in over 50% of cancers, demonstrating selective anti-cancer activity; COTI-219, an oral small molecule targeting mutant KRAS forms found in up to 30% of cancers without inhibiting normal KRAS function; and earlier-stage candidates including COTI-4A for small cell lung cancer and KRAS inhibitors, with the CHEMSAS platform applicable to any disease target. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with operations in Boston, Massachusetts, Cotinga focuses on oncology segments including pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, gynecologic cancers, and triple negative metastatic breast cancer, targeting patients with high unmet needs through clinical trials at sites such as MD Anderson Cancer Center, Northwestern University Lurie Cancer Center, and St. Vincent’s University Hospital. Formerly known as Critical Outcome Technologies Inc., the company changed its name to Cotinga Pharmaceuticals Inc. in January 2018 to reflect its focus on targeted cancer therapies. Recent developments include a 2018 research collaboration with St. Vincent’s University Hospital to evaluate COTI-2 combined with eribulin for triple negative metastatic breast cancer; closure of a CAD $2.0 million private placement in May 2018 to fund Phase 1 expansion of COTI-2 in combination with standard-of-care chemotherapies across multiple cancers; and dosing of initial patients in combination therapy cohorts, with ongoing IND-enabling studies for COTI-219 and orphan drug designation for COTI-2 in ovarian cancer.