Lmito

Lmito Therapeutics is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing therapies for autoinflammatory and autoimmune disorders and fibrotic diseases by reprogramming mitochondrial and cellular metabolism. Its stated approach is to target metabolically overactivated cells within pathogenic microenvironments and selectively alter their metabolism, rather than broadly suppressing the immune system. Indications named by the company span autoinflammatory/autoimmune disease (inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, interstitial lung disease, ankylosing spondylitis), pro-fibrotic disorders (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, fibrostenosis, progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease) and neuroinflammatory/neurodegenerative disease (multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease).

Research is organized around three therapeutic areas. In immunometabolism, the company's compounds are described as modulating the metabolism of overactivated immune cells to modify their function and mitigate inflammation without the immunosuppression-related adverse effects such as infection. In neurological disorders, the work addresses overactivated proinflammatory reactive astrocytes and the polarization of M1-like proinflammatory microglia toward an M2-like anti-inflammatory phenotype. In fibrosis, the company targets unregulated glycolysis in activated fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, aiming to limit excess extracellular matrix production and related processes such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition and inflammatory responses through metabolic reprogramming.

Founding story

Founder and CEO Wheeseong Lee has 25 years of experience in drug development in oncology and inflammation, with research focused on mitochondria and cell metabolism as related to immunology, neuroimmunology and immuno-oncology. He holds a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and conducted postdoctoral research at the California Institute of Technology. COO Eunju Lee has over 20 years of experience in clinical development and corporate strategy at large and small pharmaceutical companies, and holds an RN from Catholic University and an MBA from Sogang University.

Business model

The company states it will adopt a fully integrated pharmaceutical network (FIPNet) as its strategic business model, drawing on external partners alongside internal research. It has licensed out a drug candidate and has received national grant funding from the Korea Drug Development Fund.

Traction

The company reports closing a Series A round in September 2020, winning a national grant from the KDDF in December 2021, and receiving approval of a clinical study for an inflammatory bowel disease drug candidate in February 2022. It also reports having licensed out a drug candidate in January 2020.

Latest developments

The most recent company news item, dated February 2022, reports approval of a clinical study for its inflammatory bowel disease drug candidate.