ESSA’s primary research efforts are focused on developing small molecule therapies to treat patients with androgen receptor (AR)-driven prostate cancer, with a focus on new treatment modalities targeting the N-terminal domain (NTD) of the AR. Our lead candidate, EPI-7386, is a first-in-class NTD AR inhibitor (Aniten) that suppresses androgen biology through a novel mechanism of action. ESSA’s highly differentiated approach has the potential to bypass current AR-based resistance mechanisms that develop in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

ESSA is also developing ANITen bAsed Chimera (ANITAC^™) AR NTD degraders to suppress androgen biology. In preclinical models, ANITAC degraders eliminate forms of AR protein that can potentially drive disease progression in CRPC and mCRPC.