# Aprea Therapeutics

Aprea Therapeutics is an Asset Manager based in Doylestown, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Asset Manager
- **Headquarters:** Doylestown, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Doylestown, PA, United States
- **Founded:** 2003
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** aprea.com

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Aprea Therapeutics was founded in 2003 by researchers investigating p53 tumor suppressor biology, initially focused on small-molecule reactivation of mutant p53. The company shifted its strategic focus in the early 2020s after Phase 3 failure of its lead asset eprenetapopt in myelodysplastic syndromes, pivoting to DDR-targeted therapies. Today, its pipeline is built around two clinical-stage assets acquired or developed in-house. The company's strategy centers on synthetic lethality — designing drugs that selectively kill cancer cells with specific genetic vulnerabilities while sparing normal tissue. Its lead program, ATRN-119, is a macrocyclic ATR kinase inhibitor in Phase 1/2 trials for solid tumors. A second asset, APR-1051, targets WEE1 and entered the clinic in 2024 under an IND cleared by the FDA. Preclinical work also explores combinations with PARP inhibitors and checkpoint antibodies. The geographic footprint is North America, with operations based in Pennsylvania. Aprea reported cash and equivalents of approximately $22 million at the end of 2023, with a workforce trimmed to fewer than 25 full-time employees following a restructuring announced in June 2023. This downsizing coincided with the discontinuation of legacy p53 programs and a narrowed focus on the DDR pipeline. The company maintains a Nasdaq listing under the ticker APRE and has historically funded operations through equity offerings and at-the-market facilities. The firm's structural differentiator lies in its condensed, post-pivot operating model — a micro-cap biotech that repositioned around assets acquired from other developers rather than conducting de novo preclinical discovery. This capital-efficient posture contrasts with discovery-heavy peers, with clinical execution outsourced to CROs and manufacturing partners while a lean internal team manages regulatory and IP strategy.

## Sectors

- Healthcare Services

## People

- Oren Gilad — President and Chief Executive Officer

## Questions

### What is Aprea Therapeutics' current therapeutic focus?

The company focuses on DNA damage response (DDR) inhibitors for solid tumors. Its pipeline includes ATRN-119, a Phase 1/2 ATR inhibitor, and APR-1051, a WEE1 inhibitor that entered clinical trials in 2024. Both programs aim to exploit synthetic lethality in cancer cells with defective DNA repair pathways.

### Why did Aprea shift away from its original p53 program?

Aprea's lead candidate eprenetapopt (APR-246), a mutant p53 reactivator, failed a pivotal Phase 3 trial in myelodysplastic syndromes in 2020, missing the primary complete remission endpoint. Subsequent combination studies in other indications did not yield registrational data, leading the company to discontinue the program in the 2023 restructuring.

### How does Aprea Therapeutics fund its operations?

Aprea relies on equity financings, including public offerings and at-the-market (ATM) facilities, given its lack of approved products generating revenue. As a Nasdaq-listed micro-cap, its cash runway is a recurring investor concern, and the 2023 restructuring was partly aimed at extending that runway.

### Who manages the investment decisions and strategy at Aprea?

As an operating biotech company rather than a fund manager, strategic and investment decisions are made by the board of directors and executive leadership, currently led by President and CEO Oren Gilad. The board has historically included scientific founders and venture investors from the company's private financing rounds.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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