Sensei Biotherapeutics, Inc. recently announced it has acquired Faeth Therapeutics Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing multi-node therapies that target tumor metabolism and signaling. The acquisition brings Faeth’s lead asset PIKTOR, a proprietary investigational all-oral combination of serabelisib and sapanisertib that inhibits multiple nodes of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway through PI3K-alpha and dual mTORC1/2 targeting, into Sensei’s pipeline.

Concurrent with the acquisition, Sensei entered into a definitive agreement for the sale of Series B non-voting convertible preferred stock in a private placement financing, which is expected to result in gross proceeds to Sensei of approximately $200 million before deducting placement agent and other offering expenses. The financing included participation from B Group Capital, Balyasny Asset Management, Columbia Threadneedle Investments, Cormorant Asset Management, Fairmount, Logos Capital, RA Capital Management, Vivo Capital, multiple leading life sciences funds, and other institutional investors. Sensei expects to use the proceeds primarily to advance PIKTOR through key clinical milestones, including topline data from an ongoing Phase 2 trial in second-line advanced endometrial cancer, as well as the initiation of a Phase 1b trial in HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer, both expected by year end 2026, with remaining proceeds for general corporate purposes and completion of Sensei’s ongoing Phase 1/2 trial of solnerstotug.

“The clinical data, the caliber of the scientific team, and the investor syndicate that came together for these transactions reinforce our conviction in the program,” said Bob Holmen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sensei Biotherapeutics. “With these proceeds, we believe the company is well capitalized to execute through key clinical milestones in endometrial and breast cancer.”

“In the PI3K pathway, the field has repeatedly run into the same constraint. Single-node inhibitors force a tradeoff between efficacy and tolerability,” said Anand Parikh, Co-founder of Faeth Therapeutics and new Chief Operating Officer and director of Sensei. “PIKTOR is designed to change that tradeoff by inhibiting PI3K-alpha and mTORC1/2 simultaneously, and we believe we can achieve more complete pathway suppression with improved tolerability. We saw the signal in our Phase 1b, including a number of complete responses in endometrial cancer patients after multiple prior lines of therapy. This financing takes us through topline Phase 2 data in that population and advances the Phase 1b breast cancer program.”

Sensei Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNSE) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of next-generation therapeutics for cancer patients. Following the acquisition of Faeth Therapeutics, Sensei’s lead program is PIKTOR, an investigational multi-node inhibitor of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in development for endometrial and breast cancer. Sensei is also completing a Phase 1/2 trial of solnerstotug, its V-domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation (VISTA) inhibitor, in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Sensei intends to use its website as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. For more information, please visit www.senseibio.com.

Faeth Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing multi-node therapies that target tumor metabolism and signaling. The company’s lead program, PIKTOR, is an investigational all-oral combination of serabelisib and sapanisertib designed to inhibit multiple nodes of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, including PI3K-alpha and mTORC1/2. Faeth is advancing PIKTOR across solid tumors, including endometrial and breast cancer.

Faeth was co-founded in 2019 by Anand Parikh and Oliver Maddocks, PhD. Faeth’s scientific founders include Lewis Cantley, PhD (discoverer of the PI3K pathway), Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, DPhil (Pulitzer Prize–winning physician-scientist), Karen Vousden, PhD, Scott Lowe, PhD, and Greg Hannon, PhD.

PIKTOR is a proprietary investigational all-oral combination of serabelisib and sapanisertib that inhibits multiple nodes of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, including PI3K-alpha and dual mTORC1/2. In a completed Phase 1b trial, PIKTOR plus paclitaxel demonstrated an overall response rate of 47% in response-evaluable patients (n=15) averaging four prior lines of therapy (range 1–12), with a 71% response rate in patients with PI3K pathway mutations, including three complete responses, two in endometrial cancer, with progression-free survival of 26.9 and 20.0 months. PIKTOR is currently being studied in solid tumor settings, including endometrial and breast cancer.