Brew Markets How Immuneering’s Journey Highlights Biotech’s Market Complexity
Mar 20, 2026
Ben Zeskind, Co-founder and CEO of Immuneering, leads development of deep cyclic inhibitors for durable, better‑tolerated cancer treatments. He discusses striking phase 2 pancreatic survival results, how the drugs target cancer’s escape mechanisms, quality‑of‑life benefits, company strategy from research to IPO, and why markets often miss durable, long‑term approaches in biotech.
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Deep Cyclic Inhibitors Boost 12 Month Survival
- Immuneering invented deep cyclic inhibitors to extend survival by counteracting cancer's escape mechanisms.
- Their phase 2 combo of atebimetinib plus chemo showed 64% 12-month overall survival versus 35% for standard GNp chemotherapy in historical data.
Breaking The Tumor Versus Toxicity Tradeoff
- Deep cyclic inhibitors aim to break the tradeoff between potency and tolerability by selectively targeting cancer cells and reducing on-target side effects.
- Atabimetinib addresses three failure modes: hiding among healthy cells, rapid evolution/resistance, and cancer-driven muscle wasting.
Built By Studying Long Survivors Not Petri Dishes
- Immuneering formed from MIT-rooted reverse engineering: studying long-surviving patients rather than chasing maximal tumor kill in dishes.
- That led to informatics-driven priorities: tolerability, preventing resistance, and preserving body mass as survival drivers.