UPPSALA, Sweden, October 6, 2026
Beactica Therapeutics AB, a Swedish precision medicine company, has selected BEA-28 as a preclinical candidate for its TEAD degrader program targeting aggressive and difficult-to-treat solid tumors. The investigational small molecule is being developed as a first-in-class targeted degrader of TEAD transcription factors, key effectors of the Hippo–YAP/TAZ pathway. The program is designed to address cancers in which pathway activation contributes to tumor growth and resistance to existing targeted treatments.
BEA-28 Targets TEAD Proteins for Cancer Treatment
BEA-28 is a cereblon-recruiting small molecule degrader generated using Beactica’s Eclipsor™ platform. Unlike approaches that simply block a specific binding pocket, targeted protein degradation is intended to remove the TEAD proteins and their associated functions. Beactica is developing the program around a biomarker-led patient selection strategy, with the goal of identifying tumors most likely to respond to TEAD degradation. In preclinical studies, BEA-28 demonstrated robust TEAD degradation in target tissue and produced tumor regressions in xenograft models of mesothelioma and KRAS-mutant lung cancer at well-tolerated, once-daily doses. The compound also showed deep responses in selected high-need cancer lineages across a broad cancer cell-line panel. Importantly, the program demonstrated the potential to restore sensitivity to KRAS inhibitors in resistant models, supporting further investigation of BEA-28 in combination treatment strategies.
Preclinical Data Support Candidate Selection
Beactica selected BEA-28 after the molecule met predefined success criteria spanning chemistry, in vitro and in vivo pharmacology, ADME, and pharmacokinetic properties. The achievement marks the transition from early discovery and optimization toward comprehensive candidate validation and preparation for future clinical development. The next stage will include pre-GLP toxicology studies, scale-up chemistry, and advanced formulation profiling. Studies designed to formally support IND-enabling requirements are expected to begin following drug candidate nomination. BEA-28 remains investigational and has not been approved anywhere globally, meaning its safety and efficacy in humans have not yet been established. The company is also planning a biomarker-driven development strategy that could enable BEA-28 to be evaluated in selected cancer populations with significant unmet medical need. Planned combination approaches include development alongside checkpoint inhibitors in a non-mesothelioma high-unmet-need cancer and alongside KRAS inhibitors in KRAS-driven cancers.
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TEAD Degrader Program Advances Precision Oncology
The selection of BEA-28 represents an important milestone for Beactica’s precision oncology pipeline and its broader targeted protein degradation strategy. The company is using its Eclipsor™ platform to develop small-molecule therapeutics designed to modulate disease-driving proteins through approaches including allosteric modulation and targeted degradation. The Hippo–YAP/TAZ–TEAD pathway has emerged as an important area of cancer research because of its involvement in tumor growth, immune evasion, and resistance to targeted therapies. By pursuing direct degradation of TEAD transcription factors, Beactica aims to develop a differentiated therapeutic strategy for cancers where conventional pathway inhibition may be insufficient. With BEA-28 now advancing into candidate validation and IND-enabling development, the program moves closer to potential first-in-human testing. The company’s combination of targeted protein degradation, biomarker-guided patient selection, and rational combination strategies could provide a framework for evaluating BEA-28 across multiple hard-to-treat solid tumors. Further development will determine whether the promising preclinical antitumor activity can translate into clinical benefit for patients with biomarker-selected cancers.
Source: Beactica Therapeutics press release
