New preclinical data on STX-1, a first-in-class senolytic ADC, to be presented at AACR 2026
- StarkAge
- Apr 16
- 2 min read
Presentations highlight therapy-induced senescence as a new therapeutic opportunity and reinforce the potential of STX-1 as a differentiated approach for solid tumors
Lille and Villejuif, France, April 16, 2026 – StarkAge Therapeutics, a biotechnology company pioneering first-in-class senolytic antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) for age-related diseases with an initial focus on oncology, today announced that it will present two posters at the AACR Annual Meeting 2026. These data strengthen the company’s leadership in senescence-targeted oncology and support the development of STX-1, its first-in-class DPP4-targeting ADC, as a novel therapeutic strategy for patients with solid tumors who have limited treatment options.
“These AACR presentations underscore the growing recognition that therapy-induced senescence is a key driver of tumor progression and resistance,” said Eric Angevin, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer. “By selectively eliminating DPP4-expressing cells in both tumor and stroma, particularly in the context of senescence, STX-1 has the potential to establish a new therapeutic approach for patients with limited treatment options. Our strategy is grounded in a strong translational foundation and aims to address a significant unmet need in solid tumors.”
In the translational poster, StarkAge and Gustave Roussy Institute characterize the impact of treatment-induced senescence in metastatic colorectal cancer and highlight DPP4 (CD26) as a senescence-associated biomarker expressed in both stromal and tumor compartments. The study integrates immunohistochemistry, bulk and single-cell RNA sequencing analyses across large patient datasets and characterize senescence-related biology and its potential implications for disease progression and treatment resistance.
In the preclinical poster, StarkAge will present data showing that STX-1 demonstrated strong affinity for DPP4, high internalization, target-dependent cytotoxicity and in vivo antitumor activity, with enhanced activity in senescent cell-enriched tumors. The abstract also reports that senescence induction through chemo- or radiotherapy increased DPP4 expression, while senescent cancer cells remained sensitive to STX-1 treatment. In vivo, enhanced activity was observed in senescence-enriched tumors, and STX-1 was reported to be well tolerated in toxicology studies in mice expressing human DPP4.
AACR 2026 Poster Details
Preclinical poster
Title: STX-1, a first-in-class ADC targeting DPP4 protein, acts as an anticancer and senolytic treatment
Session / Abstract #: PO.ET02.01 - Antibody-Drug Conjugates and Linker Engineering 1
Presenter: Benjamin Le Calvé, StarkAge Therapeutics
Date / Time: April 20, 2026, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Section 12
Translational poster
Session / Abstract #: PO.MCB04.02 - Senescence and Cell Stress
Presenter: Antoine Hollebecque, Drug Development Department (DITEP),
Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
Date / Time: April 21, 2026, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: Section 24
END
About StarkAge Therapeutics
StarkAge Therapeutics is a biotechnology company based in Lille, France, pioneering first-in-class senolytic antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) to address age-related diseases, with an initial focus on oncology.
About STX-1
STX-1 is StarkAge Therapeutics’ lead DPP4-targeting ADC, designed to combine
anticancer and senolytic activity in tumors characterized by DPP4 expression and
senescence-associated biology. STX-1 is currently progressing toward IND-enabling
studies.
Media Contact
StarkAge Therapeutics
Marie Puvieux – Press Officer, ATCG Partners
+33 610 54 36 72