Foghorn Therapeutics Presents New Preclinical Data for Selective SMARCA2 Inhibitor FHD-909 and for Selective CBP, EP300 and ARID1B Degrader Programs at the 2026 AACR Annual Meeting
Rhea-AI Summary
Foghorn (Nasdaq: FHTX) presented new preclinical data at the 2026 AACR Annual Meeting showing multiple program advances. FHD-909 plus anti-PD-1 produced complete, durable regressions and rechallenge tumor rejection in syngeneic models. Selective CBP degrader FHT-171 showed strong activity in ER+ PDX with favorable tolerability. Selective EP300 degraders outperformed a clinical benchmark in multiple myeloma models. Robust cereblon-based ARID1B degradation was achieved with potential oral bioavailability. Data were shared in oral and poster presentations.
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
Positive
- Complete and durable tumor regression with FHD-909 plus anti-PD-1
- Tumor rejection on rechallenge suggesting anti-tumor immune memory
- FHT-171 shows strong monotherapy activity in heavily pretreated ER+ breast cancer PDX
- Selective EP300 degraders outperform clinical benchmark in multiple myeloma preclinical models
- Robust ARID1B degradation via cereblon mechanisms with potential oral bioavailability
Negative
- All findings are preclinical; clinical safety and efficacy remain unproven
News Market Reaction – FHTX
On the day this news was published, FHTX gained 3.61%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction. Argus tracked a trough of -5.5% from its starting point during tracking. This price movement added approximately $11M to the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $316.39M at that time.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
While FHTX is up 4.16%, peers show mixed moves: ALEC up 5.66%, OMER up 0.90%, NGNE up 0.51%, while CAPR and MNPR are down. Combined with scanner data flagging only one peer in momentum, this points to a stock-specific reaction.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 09 | AACR data preview | Positive | -2.0% | Outlined upcoming AACR preclinical data for FHD-909 and degrader programs. |
| Mar 11 | Financial update | Positive | -12.9% | Reported 2025 results, collaboration revenue and extended cash runway to 1H 2028. |
| Feb 24 | Conference participation | Neutral | -1.4% | Announced participation in two investor conferences with webcast access. |
| Feb 23 | CFO appointment | Positive | +0.3% | Named a new CFO with extensive biopharma financing experience. |
| Feb 03 | Conference participation | Neutral | -2.7% | Disclosed upcoming presentation at a biotech summit and one-on-one meetings. |
Recent news, including pipeline and financial updates, has often been followed by flat-to-negative next-day moves, even when the content was constructive.
Over the last few months, Foghorn has focused on its chromatin biology pipeline and financial positioning. A prior AACR preview on Apr 9, 2026 outlining plans to showcase FHD-909 and degrader programs saw a -2.04% move. The Mar 11, 2026 financial and strategic update, highlighting collaboration revenue of $30.9M and extended runway, was followed by a -12.92% reaction. Executive and conference announcements generally produced modest price changes, showing that news flow has not consistently driven strong upside.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement details broad preclinical progress across FHD-909 and selective CBP, EP300 and ARID1B degrader programs, including complete regression and immune memory signals in mouse models and activity in resistant disease settings. Context from recent filings underscores that the company remains clinical-stage with typical biotechnology uncertainties. Investors may track advancement toward IND-enabling studies, early clinical readouts, and how new data integrate with the broader chromatin-focused pipeline described in prior disclosures.
Key Terms
smarca2 medical
smarca4 medical
anti-pd-1 antibody medical
syngeneic medical
pomalidomide medical
xenograft medical
multiple myeloma medical
pdx models medical
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
- Complete and durable regression and anti-tumor immune memory following treatment with FHD-909 (LY4050784) in combination with an anti-PD-1 antibody in preclinical syngeneic mouse models
- Selective CBP degrader FHT-171 shows strong anti-tumor activity and favorable tolerability in preclinical models of heavily pretreated ER+ breast cancer
- Selective EP300 degrader outperforms clinical benchmark in preclinical multiple myeloma models, showing enhanced safety and efficacy
- Robust degradation achieved with cereblon-based selective ARID1B degraders with potential for oral bioavailability
WATERTOWN, Mass., April 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Foghorn® Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: FHTX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering a new class of medicines that treat serious diseases by correcting abnormal gene expression, today presented new preclinical data for Selective SMARCA2 inhibitor FHD-909 showing complete and durable tumor regression together with anti-tumor immune memory following combination treatment with an anti-PD-1 antibody in preclinical syngeneic mouse models. The company also reported new preclinical data for its Selective CBP and Selective EP300 degrader programs, demonstrating favorable efficacy and safety profiles across a range of difficult-to-treat cancers, in addition to progress with its Selective ARID1B degrader program. These data were unveiled in multiple oral and poster presentations at the 2026 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting.
“These exciting new preclinical data highlight FHD-909’s potential in combination with an anti-PD-1 antibody in SMARCA4-mutated cancers,” said Adrian Gottschalk, President and Chief Executive Officer of Foghorn. “Additionally, our selective CBP degrader continues to show promise in ER+ breast cancer models and our selective EP300 degrader outperforms its clinical benchmark in preclinical multiple myeloma models. We also shared that we have achieved robust degradation with our cereblon-based selective ARID1B degraders, designed for potential oral bioavailability. We are pleased with the continued progress across our innovative pipeline which has the potential to provide meaningful benefit to patients.”
Oral Presentation Highlights
Title: Leveraging paralog relationships for targeting chromatin modulators in cancer: ARID1B and SMARCA2 (FHD-909)
We are advancing a first-in-class selective enzymatic inhibitor of SMARCA2 in collaboration with Lilly, FHD-909, as well as first-in-class selective ARID1B degraders for ARID1A-mutant cancers. Updates include:
FHD-909:
- Complete regression in pre-clinical syngeneic efficacy models of FHD-909 in combination with an anti-PD1 antibody, with tumors failing to regrow after dosing halted
- Tumor rejection upon rechallenge, where attempts to implant fresh tumor on the opposite flank of previously treated animals with FHD-909 plus an anti-PD1 antibody were not successful, suggesting an immune memory effect
ARID1B:
- Robust degradation achieved with cereblon-based selective ARID1B degraders with potential for oral bioavailability
Title: Targeting chromatin regulatory proteins in hematologic malignancies
Targeting EP300 represents a well-validated example of lineage dependence in hematologic malignancies. In preclinical multiple myeloma studies, selective EP300 degraders show:
- Tumor regression, including a model with acquired resistance to pomalidomide with superior efficacy to clinical benchmark dual CBP/EP300 inhibitor inobrodib
- A profound impact on multiple transcription factors important for the survival of multiple myeloma cells
- Synergistic impact on cancer cells in the context of combinations with several standards of care
Poster Presentation Highlights
Title: Preclinical characterization of FHT-171, a first-in-class degrader targeting CREB-binding protein (CBP) in CBP-dependent solid tumors
FHT-171 is a selective CBP degrader with potential to treat CBP-dependent solid tumors showing:
- Strong anti-tumor activity as a monotherapy in PDX models of heavily pretreated ER+ breast cancer
- Favorable tolerability profile in preclinical in vivo studies
- High selectivity and potent CBP degradation with clear on-target transcriptional effects by SAR, proteomics, and mechanistic analyses
- Mechanistic understanding of the utility of CBP degraders in ER+ breast cancer
Title: Preclinical evaluation of selective and potent EP300 degraders demonstrates robust antitumor activity and favorable tolerability in hematologic malignancies
Foghorn’s Selective EP300 degraders demonstrate promise for the treatment of hematological malignancies with preclinical data showing:
- Superior anti-tumor activity, including complete responses, compared to clinical benchmark dual CBP/EP300 inhibitor inobrodib
- Superior safety, by body weight loss and platelet counts, over dual degradation
- Tumor regression in a multiple myeloma xenograft model of acquired pomalidomide resistance
- Selective EP300 degradation as a novel and promising therapeutic strategy to treat multiple myeloma
Title: Identification of first-in-class selective ARID1B degraders
Selective ARID1B degraders represent a first-in-class approach to target prevalent ARID1A-mutant cancers by exploiting a synthetic lethal dependency. Preclinical data of this previously intractable target show:
- Successful identification of the first selective ARID1B binders
- Robust degradation via VHL and CRBN-based mechanisms
- Clear on-mechanism activity with downstream transcriptional modulation
The presentations and the posters will be accessible under the Science section of the Company’s website.
About Foghorn Therapeutics
Foghorn® Therapeutics is discovering and developing a novel class of medicines targeting genetically determined dependencies within the chromatin regulatory system. Through its proprietary scalable Gene Traffic Control® platform, Foghorn is systematically studying, identifying, and validating potential drug targets within the chromatin regulatory system. The Company is developing multiple product candidates in oncology. Visit our website at www.foghorntx.com for more information on the Company, and follow us on X and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements include statements regarding the Company’s clinical and pre-clinical programs, including the ongoing Phase 1 trial evaluating FHD-909 in SMARCA4-mutated cancers, selective CBP and selective EP300 degrader programs, selective ARID1B degrader program and other pre-clinical product candidates, expected timing of clinical data, expected cash runway, expected timing of regulatory filings, and research efforts and other statements identified by words such as “could,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “likely,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “seeks,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “continues,” “projects” and similar references to future periods. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding capital market conditions, our business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, by their nature, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. As a result, actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include regional, national or global political, economic, business, competitive, market and regulatory conditions, including risks relating to our clinical trials and other factors set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statement made in this press release speaks only as of the date on which it is made.
Contact:
Karin Hellsvik, Foghorn Therapeutics Inc.
