Winter Scientific is an Oslo-based biotech advancing best-in-class therapies for the orphan disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) with significant unmet medical need.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal, progressive lung disease characterized by irreversible scarring of lung tissue, leading to a steady decline in respiratory function. Median survival is approximately three years from diagnosis. IPF affects an estimated 200,000 patients across the seven major pharmaceutical markets, with roughly 60,000 new cases diagnosed annually.
Additional information on pulmonary fibrosis:
European Pulmonary Fibrosis Federation
Norwegian Pulmonary Fibrosis Patient Association
Currently approved therapies, including pirfenidone and nintedanib, slow disease progression but do not reverse fibrosis and are frequently associated with significant tolerability limitations. As a result, substantial unmet medical need remains for therapies capable of delivering improved efficacy and better patient outcomes.
Over the past decade, drug development efforts have largely focused on targeting the TGFβ signaling pathway. However, multiple pathway-directed approaches have failed to demonstrate sufficient efficacy or acceptable safety in clinical trials. These outcomes underscore the need for innovative, non–TGFβ-based therapeutic strategies that more effectively address the underlying drivers of fibrotic progression in IPF.
Our lead asset, OM-247, is a small-molecule tankyrase (TNKS) and WNT/β-catenin and YAP signaling inhibitor in preclinical development as an inhaled therapy for IPF. Local delivery to the lung is designed to enable effective pathway modulation while reducing systemic exposure, supporting a differentiated safety and tolerability profile.
Despite strong genetic and mechanistic validation, no tankyrase-targeting therapies have been approved or advanced into the clinic for IPF or any other indication. Our proprietary portfolio of highly potent tankyrase inhibitors positions us to potentially establish a new therapeutic class in pulmonary fibrosis, addressing a clear biological target.
Winter Scientific is a Norwegian-based biotech specializing in the discovery and development of tankyrase (TNKS) inhibitors. Built on more than 20 years of foundational research and deep domain expertise, the company was established to translate TNKS biology into differentiated therapeutics. As a preclinical-stage company, Winter Scientific is executing a focused development strategy designed to generate robust data and achieve key milestones, including an IND enabling package and progression into Phase I clinical trials for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and other interstitial lung diseases (ILDs).
Co-inventor of the tankyrase toolbox.
More than 20 years of experience within cell signaling pathways and development of TNKS inhibitors.
Pharmacology project leader with respiratory, inhalation and fibrosis expertise.
25 years of pharma industry experience.
Winter Scientific is engaging with global and Nordic investors, including institutional, strategic, and select private funding partners, who share our long-term commitment to advancing innovative therapies for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. We have established a clearly defined development roadmap to reach IND readiness and progress into Phase I clinical testing. We welcome discussions with potential supporters, investors and partners seeking to support a science-driven company with a differentiated asset and a focus on addressing a clearly unmet clinical need.
We invite interested parties to contact us to explore collaboration and investment opportunities.
Tankyrase inhibition demonstrates anti-fibrotic effects in preclinical pulmonary fibrosis models
Development of a 1,2,4-Triazole-Based Lead Tankyrase Inhibitor: Part II
Preclinical Lead Optimization of a 1,2,4-Triazole Based Tankyrase Inhibitor
Identification of response signatures for tankyrase inhibitor treatment in tumor cell lines
