Rapt Therapeutics has conducted its second round of layoffs in just under a year, continuing a period of upheaval following the clinical hold—and eventual discontinuation—of the immunology biotech’s former lead asset.
A company spokesperson confirmed to Fierce Biotech that a reduction in force took place at Rapt last week. The company declined to comment further.
Numerous former employees posted on LinkedIn last week about being affected by the layoffs, including a research associate and medicinal chemists.
Rapt faced a major setback last year when a nine-month clinical hold of its then-lead asset zelnecirnon ended with the biotech shelving the program entirely in November. The FDA placed zelnecirnon’s phase 2 atopic dermatitis and asthma trials on hold in February 2024 after a patient in the atopic dermatitis trial experienced liver failure after taking the small-molecule CCR4 inhibitor.
About five months after the hold was placed, Rapt reduced its workforce by about 40%, laying off 47 employees in July 2024.
The Bay Area biotech has since pivoted its pipeline, including paying $35 million upfront for the ex-China rights of an anti-immunoglobulin E antibody from Shanghai Jemincare Pharmaceutical. Jemincare is studying the molecule in phase 2 trials in asthma and chronic spontaneous urticaria, while Rapt is focusing the asset on food allergy.
The company plans to launch a phase 2 food allergy trial for the Jemincare asset, called RPT904, in the second half of 2025, according to an April 15 press release.
In addition to RPT904, Rapt also has two CCR4 antagonists still in development, according to the biotech’s website. One is in the preclinical stage for an undisclosed inflammation indication, and the other is a Hanmi-partnered small molecule, tivumecirnon, which completed a phase 2 trial for gastric cancer in combination with Merck & Co.’s Keytruda (pembrolizumab) at the end of last year.