Curtana Pharmaceuticals is developing the first truly targeted small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of a variety of brain cancers, including glioblastoma in adults and pediatric high grade glioma in children. Founded in 2013, Curtana is located in Austin, TX. To-date, the company has raised nearly $9M in financing, the majority of which is non-dilutive. The company’s clinical candidate, CT-179, blocks the function of Olig2, a transcription factor that is highly expressed in all diffuse gliomas. Olig2 drives tumor growth and invasiveness as well as regulates the survival and expansion of the cancer. CT-179 is able to be taken by mouth, dosed once daily, cross the blood-brain barrier, achieve very high concentrations in the brain, and significantly prolong survival in a mouse brain cancer model. The filing of an IND application for CT-179 for the treatment of glioblastoma is planned to occur in the Q2/Q3 2017 time-frame.