Presentations feature mechanistic data on ACR-2316, a potential first-in-class, clinical WEE1/PKMYT1 inhibitor, rationally designed with AP3 for potent single agent activity and superior therapeutic index
Early clinical responses, including partial responses (PRs) across multiple AP3-predicted tumor types, underscore how AP3-guided drug design translates into differentiated anti-tumor activity
WATERTOWN, Mass., July 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acrivon Therapeutics, Inc. (“Acrivon” or “Acrivon Therapeutics”) (Nasdaq: ACRV), a clinical stage biotechnology company discovering and developing precision medicines utilizing its proprietary Generative Phosphoproteomics AP3 (Acrivon Predictive Precision Proteomics) platform deployed for rational drug design and predictive clinical development, today announced that the company will deliver an oral presentation and present a poster at the upcoming American Association for Cancer Research Drug Discovery and Development, or AACR D3, Conference, taking place July 21–24, 2026 in Boston.
The presentations will highlight the broad and actionable capabilities of the AP3 platform to rapidly identify and advance promising compounds into clinical development, focusing on the discovery of ACR-2316, the company’s novel clinical-stage, selective WEE1/PKMYT1 inhibitor.
Data being presented illustrate how AP3 can uncover drug-induced resistance mechanisms, in this case WEE1 inhibition-induced activation of PKMYT1, resulting in phosphorylation of CDK1 on Thr14, a direct PKMYT1 phosphorylation site. Moreover, AP3 enabled the development of ACR-2316 based on optimal intracellular pathway effects, including sustained activation of CDK1, CDK2, but importantly and also of PLK1, to drive potent pro-apoptotic tumor cell death.
“We are excited to present at AACR D3 and to highlight the actionable power of our AP3 platform to rapidly translate intracellular pathway biology into differentiated drug candidates,” said Kristina Masson, Ph.D., co-founder and EVP at Acrivon, and president and CEO of the company’s research subsidiary, Acrivon AB, in Lund, Sweden. “Our presentations underscore how AP3 moves beyond traditional target-centric drug discovery by directly measuring drug-regulated pathway activity in intact cells, enabling optimal biology-based design of compounds for superior clinical activity and patient benefit. ACR-2316 is a compelling example of this strategy, and we look forward to sharing our findings at the conference.”
ACR-2316 is currently in a Phase 1/2 clinical study advancing toward the dose expansion phase. Initial observations have shown tumor shrinkage, including PRs, and durable clinical benefit in subjects with small cell lung cancer (SCLC), squamous non-small cell lung cancer (sqNSCLC), and adenosarcoma NSCLC (adNSCLC), AP3-predicted tumor types not previously shown to be sensitive to other clinical WEE1 or PKMYT1 inhibitors. The compound has also demonstrated a favorable, differentiated tolerability profile observed in studies conducted to date, with adverse events primarily limited to only transient, mechanism-based neutropenia and a notable absence of non-hematological adverse events.
Presentations and Details
Oral Podium Presentation
Title: Acrivon Predictive Precision Proteomics (AP3): Next Generation Precision Medicine for Phosphoproteomics-Guided Drug Discovery
Presenter: Lei Shi, Ph.D., Director and Head, AP3 Pathway Discovery, Acrivon Therapeutics
Session: Biotech Spotlight Session 1: Novel Therapeutics
Date and Time: Thursday, July 23, 2026, 3:50–4:00 p.m. ET
Location: Grand Ballroom
Poster Presentation
Title: AP3-guided biological SAR enables discovery of ACR-2316, a novel clinical-stage WEE1/PKMYT1 inhibitor designed for CDK1/2 and PLK1 pathway activation
Poster Number: A082
Session: Poster Session A
Date and Time: Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 6:15–8:45 p.m. ET
Location: Back Bay Ballroom
About Acrivon Therapeutics
Acrivon is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company discovering and developing precision medicines utilizing its proprietary Generative Phosphoproteomics AP3 platform. The platform allows the company to interpret and quantify compound specific, drug-regulated pathway activity levels inside the intact cell in an unbiased manner, yielding terabytes of proprietary data and delivering rapid, actionable insights. The AP3 platform is comprised of a growing suite of powerful, internally-developed tools, including the AP3 Data Portal, converting multimodal data into structured data for generative AI analyses, the AP3 Kinase Substrate Relationship Predictor and the AP3 Interactome. These distinctive capabilities enable the company to go beyond the limitations of traditional drug discovery, as well as current AI-based target-centric drug discovery and rapidly design highly differentiated compounds with desirable pathway effects through intracellular protein network analyses and advance these agents into the clinic for streamlined development.
Acrivon is currently advancing its lead program, ACR-368 (also known as prexasertib), a selective small molecule inhibitor targeting CHK1 and CHK2 in a potentially registrational Phase 2 trial for endometrial cancer. The company has received Fast Track designation from the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, for the investigation of ACR-368 as a monotherapy based on OncoSignature-predicted sensitivity in patients with endometrial cancer. The FDA has granted a Breakthrough Device designation for the ACR-368 OncoSignature assay for the identification of patients with endometrial cancer who may benefit from ACR-368 treatment.
In addition to ACR-368, Acrivon is also leveraging its proprietary Generative AI-driven Phosphoproteomics AP3 platform for developing its co-crystallography-driven, internally discovered pipeline programs. These include ACR-2316, the company’s second clinical stage asset, a novel, potent, selective WEE1/PKMYT1 inhibitor designed for superior single-agent activity through strong activation of not only CDK1 and CDK2, but also of PLK1 to drive pro-apoptotic cell death, as observed in preclinical studies against benchmark inhibitors. The Phase 1/2 trial of ACR-2316 is advancing, with two weekly, oral dosing regimens established. Initial data has shown a favorable tolerability profile limited to transient, mechanism-based hematological adverse events, predominantly only neutropenia, with noticeable absence of non-hematological adverse events. Early clinical activity with prolonged clinical benefit has been observed across subjects with AP3-selected solid tumor types, including PRs in endometrial cancer, as well as in subjects with SCLC, sqNSCLC, and adNSCLC, tumor types which have not shown sensitivity to other clinical WEE1 or PKMYT1 inhibitors currently in development. In addition, the company is in early IND-enabling studies with several potential first-in-class development candidates targeting CDK11.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes certain disclosures that contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 about us and our industry that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding our future results of operations or financial condition, business strategy and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” or “would” or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on Acrivon’s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties that are described more fully in the section titled “Risk Factors” in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of this date, and Acrivon undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.
Acrivon intends to use its website as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. For more information, please visit www.acrivon.com.
Investor and Media Contacts:
Adam D. Levy, Ph.D., M.B.A.
alevy@acrivon.com
Alexandra Santos
asantos@wheelhouselsa.com
