Having picked up a pipeline of oncology drugs as part of a merger last year, NAYA Biosciences is reverting back to its original focus of fertility and spinning off the cancer business.
Before the company's April 14 announcement, the NAYA organization had been divided between NAYA Oncology and NAYA Fertility, two groups focused on bispecific antibodies and fertility care clinics, respectively.
These bispecific antibodies were brought on board last October when INVO Biosciences acquired NAYA Biosciences. While retaining its own management, INVO renamed itself NAYA Biosciences in the wake of the deal.
These oncology candidates will now be incorporated into a new entity called NAYA Therapeutics. The business’s portfolio will include NY-303, a GPC3/NKp46 bifunctional antibody expected to enter a phase 1/2 trial in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the second half of the year.
There’s also another HCC-targeted asset in the form of NY-500, a PD-1/VEGF bifunctional antibody that's due to enter the clinic next year. Finally, there’s NY-338, a CD38/NKp46 bifunctional antibody for the treatment of multiple myeloma that’s also expected to enter human trials in 2026.
As part of its strategic change in direction, NAYA Biosciences renamed itself INVO Fertility and will divest a majority stake in NAYA Therapeutics, the company explained in a post-market release April 14.
As a privately owned company, NAYA Therapeutics will continue to be led by its current management team. Meanwhile, the newly renamed INVO Fertility switched its Nasdaq ticker to “IVF” as of yesterday to reflect its renewed single focus on fertility.
“We remain enthusiastic about NAYA TX's assets and their significant potential upside, which we hope to monetize in the future through value appreciation in the minority stake we plan to retain,” INVO Fertility CEO Steve Shum said in the release. “At the same time, the return of the two businesses to independent entities is expected to enable a more focused effort with dedicated teams. We believe the respective shareholders for each business agree and support this revised structure and approach.”