Asher Bio

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We build better immunotherapies

Summer 20193 peopleSan Carlos, CA, USA

www.asherbio.com/ ↗LinkedIn ↗X ↗See on the Idea Map Healthcare momentum

About

Asher Bio is a biotechnology company developing precisely targeted immunotherapies for cancer and other diseases. Our cis-targeting platform aims to enable selective activation of specific immune cell types, addressing the inherent limitations of otherwise pleiotropic immunotherapies that act on multiple cell types. Our approach has the potential to precisely direct different immune mediators against a range of target immune cell-types and create best-in-class immunotherapies in cancer, autoimmune and infectious diseases. Asher Bio is backed by Third Rock Ventures and is located in South San Francisco.

From their website

as of Jun 7, 2026www.asherbio.com ↗

API/Infra

Asher Bio develops cis-targeted immunotherapies that selectively activate immune cells driving the desired therapeutic response, aiming to improve efficacy while reducing toxicity compared to conventional immunotherapies. Their lead candidate etakafusp alfa (AB248) is a cis-targeted IL-2 designed to selectively activate CD8+ effector T cells and has progressed through early clinical trials. The company emphasizes a platform approach to specifically engage immunomodulatory receptors only when the target antigen is present on the same cell.

Cis-targeted immunotherapies engage two molecules on the same immune cell: an immunomodulatory receptor and a specific target, triggering activation only when both are present on the targeted cell. This design aims to provide selective activation of desired immune cell types, optimizing efficacy and minimizing toxicity. Lead molecule etakafusp alfa (AB248) is a cis-targeted IL-2 intended to specifically activate CD8+ effector T cells, with ongoing Phase 1a/1b clinical evaluation for anti-tumor activity and safety.

Who it’s for: Pharmaceutical/biotech companies and research organizations developing immunotherapies for cancer (with emphasis on targeted immunomodulation and cell-type specificity).

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