About us
Nelum is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing best-in-class patented molecules with a focus on unmet clinical needs.
At Nelum Pharma, we are focused on leveraging our expertise to target fibrosis and various forms of cancer. Our innovative approach and research drive our pursuit of impactful therapies for these challenging conditions.
Hedgehog
Pathway Inhibitor
NLM-001 is an inhibitor of the hedgehog pathway initially developed by Takeda and known as Tak-441. Nelum unlicensed the molecule and renamed it as NLM-001.
Safety and
Efficacy
NLM-001 has been administered to 60 patients in two clinical trials, demonstrating a good safety profile as well as efficacy.
PK Profile as Differentiator
NLM-001 PK profile is linear and dose proportional with rapid absorption and fast elimination while most hedgehog inhibitors have a non-linear AUC and a slow systemic elimination.
Cancer
Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment: A New Frontier in Cancer Therapy
The tumor microenvironment (Stroma) is the cellular environment in which the tumor exists, including surrounding blood vessels, immune cells, fibroblasts, etc. The tumor and the surrounding microenvironment are closely related and interact constantly.
Tumor–Stroma Interaction and Disease Progression
Tumors can influence the microenvironment by releasing signals promoting tumor growth and inducing peripheral immune tolerance, while stroma cells play a key role in tumor invasion, growth, metastasis, drug resistance and immune suppression.
Stroma Cells as a Stable Therapeutic Target
Compared with cancer cells, stroma cells are also more genetically stable. Therefore, killing the stroma cells with antigen-specific compounds can lead to long-term arrest of tumor growth.
A Novel Approach: Targeting the Tumor Stroma
Drugs targeting the tumor stroma introduce a novel mechanism for treating cancer and can work in combination with existing chemo-therapies and immunotherapies targeting cancer cells.
Unmet Need: Beyond Endothelial Targets (CAFs Focus)
Although many drugs target endothelial cell receptors in the tumor microenvironment, no approved therapies target other tumor stroma cells, such as Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs), which NLM001 targets.
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Team
The Faces Behind Nelum Pharma
At Nelum, our strength lies in the collective expertise, vision, and dedication of our team. We bring together scientists, clinicians, and industry leaders with deep experience across drug discovery, translational research, and clinical development.
Founders
Manuel Hidalgo,
MD, PhD
Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board
Founders
Evelio Perea,
MSc
CEO and Chairman of the Board
Board Member
Laureano Simon,
PhD
Serial entrepreneur
Scientific Advisory Board
Manuel Sanz
Serial entrepreneur
Scientific Advisory Board
Dr. David
Wilkes
Dean Emeritus of the University of Virginia Medical, VA
Scientific Advisory Board
Dr. Anna Podolanczuk
Associate Professor of Medicine. Weill Cornell Medicine, NY
Scientific Advisory Board
Dr. Claudia Valenzuela
Pulmonologist. Chair of ILD Unit. Hospital La Princesa, Madrid, Spain