CAL005 is a preclinical, first-in-class humanized VHH nanobody with neutralizing activity against multiple ELR⁺ CXC chemokines. It is being developed for the treatment of neutrophil-mediated inflammatory diseases, including Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
Neutrophil-mediated inflammatory diseases and IBD
Neutrophils are the most abundant white blood cells in the human body and play a critical role as first responders of the innate immune system. While essential for defense against infection, dysregulated neutrophil activity is increasingly recognized as a key driver of tissue damage and chronic inflammation in a wide range of diseases such as IBD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis.
IBD is a chronic neutrophil-mediated inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract, which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Common symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and fatigue, often leading to substantially impaired quality of life of those affected by IBD. Despite treatment advances, long-term disease control remains difficult for many individuals.
CAL005 is designed to suppress inflammation in IBD and other neutrophil-mediated inflammatory diseases by targeting the central ELR⁺ CXC chemokine/CXCR2 axis critical for neutrophil recruitment and activation.
