Neutralizing Tumor Acidity to Improve Cancer Immunotherapy

Many cancer treatments fail not because immune cells can’t recognize a tumor, but because the hostile environment surrounding it can prevent them from doing their job. Dyve Biosciences is seeking to address that problem by targeting tumor acidity, which the company says can suppress T-cell activity, promote immune evasion, and contribute to resistance to checkpoint inhibitors and other therapies. Its solution is a transdermal drug-delivery platform designed to move a buffering agent through the skin and into systemic circulation. The company’s lead oncology candidate, DYV 800, is intended to raise extracellular tumor pH and thereby make the tumor microenvironment more hospitable to immune attack. Ryan Beal, CEO of Dyve Biosciences, discusses why the company sees acidity as an overlooked but foundational target in oncology, how its delivery technology may overcome the limitations of oral bicarbonate dosing, and indications beyond cancer that the company is pursuing.