CasInvent was selected for EIC Pre-Accelerator funding — a crucial step in securing progress towards the clinic
CasInvent Pharma's triple CK1 inhibitor programme has been chosen from more than a thousand proposals across 30 countries. Official confirmation is expected within weeks.
CasInvent Pharma has been selected for funding under the European Innovation Council's new Pre-Accelerator programme for its project REACT-CK1 — an initiative to bring a first-in-class therapy to patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), one of the most treatment-resistant cancers in haematology. While formal grant agreements are still being finalised, the selection itself represents a major milestone and a strong vote of confidence in the science behind our CK1 inhibitor platform.
Relapsed and refractory AML is a setting where patients have exhausted current standard-of-care options, including those affected by venetoclax resistance. For many of them — particularly those with TP53 alterations — there is no established path forward. The REACT-CK1 candidate addresses this gap through a distinct mechanism of action: simultaneous, highly selective inhibition of three CK1 isoforms (CK1α, CK1δ and CK1ε).
"Our inhibitor has shown strong preclinical activity precisely in the models that no longer respond to current therapies. That is where the unmet need is greatest — and that is where we intend to make a difference."
— Tomáš Prát, Head of Alliance Management, CasInvent PharmaOver the next 24 months, the EIC Pre-Accelerator grant will support REACT-CK1 across four critical workstreams: manufacturing scale-up to enable clinical-grade supply; formal toxicology studies; early regulatory engagement with the European Medicines Agency; and clinical strategy development alongside leading haematologists in both Europe and the United States.
The EIC Pre-Accelerator is a new instrument launched under Horizon Europe, specifically designed to support early-stage deep-tech companies from widening countries on their path toward the larger EIC Accelerator and private investment rounds. The first call drew proposals from 30 countries, making selection into this cohort a genuinely competitive distinction.
We would like to thank our scientific collaborators, investors, and the clinicians who have helped shape our clinical thinking so far. Grant agreements are expected to be signed in the coming months — and when that chapter officially closes, the real work begins.