Company Description
Intensity Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: INTS) is a late-stage clinical biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of proprietary, immune-based intratumoral cancer therapies. According to the company’s public disclosures and press releases, Intensity is developing drug products that are designed to kill tumors directly and increase immune system recognition of cancers using a proprietary non-covalent drug-conjugation technology platform.
Core focus and technology
Intensity Therapeutics describes its approach as applying novel engineered chemistry to create aqueous cytotoxic-containing drug formulations that can mix and saturate a tumor’s dense, high-fat, pressurized environment following direct intratumoral injection. This approach is intended to enable potent anti-cancer agents to disperse throughout tumors and diffuse into cancer cells, while remaining largely within the tumor mass.
The company’s lead proprietary investigational product candidate is INT230-6. Public descriptions state that INT230-6 is designed for direct intratumoral injection and was discovered using Intensity’s proprietary DfuseRx℠ technology platform. INT230-6 consists of two proven, potent anti-cancer agents, cisplatin and vinblastine sulfate, combined with a diffusion and cell penetration enhancer molecule referred to as SHAO. SHAO non-covalently conjugates to the two payload drugs, facilitating dispersion of cytotoxic agents throughout tumors and allowing the active agents to diffuse into cancer cells.
Company materials report that pharmacokinetic results from clinical studies showed that a high percentage of the active cytotoxic agents remain in the injected tumors. In addition to local disease control and direct tumor killing, the company states that INT230-6 causes a release of neoantigens specific to the malignancy, which can lead to immune system engagement and systemic anti-tumor effects. These effects are described as occurring without the immunosuppression that often accompanies systemic chemotherapy.
Immune-based intratumoral cancer therapy
Across its public communications, Intensity Therapeutics positions INT230-6 as part of a new approach to cancer cell death. The company reports that its clinical trials have demonstrated the ability of INT230-6 to kill tumors and elicit an adaptive immune response within days of injection. According to Intensity, this mechanism holds the potential to affect cancers that do not respond to conventional immunotherapy, and may support the goal of turning many deadly cancers into chronic diseases.
The company also highlights observations of abscopal effects in its clinical work, where uninjected tumors shrink following intratumoral treatment. In a published phase 1/2 study (IT-01) in advanced solid tumors, Intensity reports that an abscopal effect was observed in a subset of patients who received INT230-6 at doses treating more than a specified percentage of total tumor burden. The company also notes qualitative increases in activated CD4+ and CD8+ T cells infiltrating the tumor microenvironment in matched biopsy samples after treatment.
Clinical development programs
Intensity Therapeutics describes itself as a late-stage clinical biotechnology company. Public information indicates that the company has completed two clinical studies using INT230-6 that together enrolled over 200 patients:
- A Phase 1/2 dose escalation study in metastatic cancers including sarcomas (IT-01, NCT03058289), evaluating safety, dosing, disease control, overall survival, immune activation, abscopal effects, tumor necrosis, and pharmacokinetics in patients with advanced solid tumors.
- A Phase 2 randomized control clinical trial in locally advanced breast cancer, referred to as the INVINCIBLE-2 Study (NCT04781725), in women with breast cancer who did not receive chemotherapy prior to surgery.
Building on these studies, Intensity has initiated and described several additional clinical programs:
- INVINCIBLE-3 Study (NCT06263231): A Phase 3 open-label, randomized study in specific soft tissue sarcoma subtypes, testing INT230-6 as second- or third-line monotherapy compared to standard-of-care drugs. The primary endpoint is overall survival. Company updates note that site activations and new patient enrollment were paused due to funding constraints, while treatment and study-related activities for enrolled patients continue, with plans to restart enrollment when sufficient funding is obtained.
- INVINCIBLE-4 Study (NCT06358573): A Phase 2 randomized, presurgical study in early-stage, operable triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), conducted in collaboration with the Swiss Cancer Institute (formerly SAKK) and Unicancer/UCBG as part of a Phase 2/3 program. The study evaluates INT230-6 followed by standard-of-care immunochemotherapy versus standard of care alone, with pathological complete response (pCR) as the primary endpoint. Company communications report that a pCR was observed in the first evaluated patient in the INT230-6 cohort and that early safety observations have been favorable, though localized skin irritation led to a temporary pause in new enrollment and a planned dosing regimen modification.
In its public updates, Intensity also discusses the possibility of a future Phase 3 breast cancer study using INT230-6 plus standard-of-care regimens in triple-negative breast cancer, contingent on safety and efficacy trends and the availability of funding.
Published clinical data and validation
Intensity Therapeutics has highlighted publication of its IT-01 phase 1/2 study results in eBioMedicine, a Lancet Discovery Science journal. The manuscript, titled “Safety and Efficacy of Intratumourally Administered INT230-6 in Adult Patients with Advanced Solid Tumours: Results from an Open-Label Phase 1/2 Dose Escalation Study,” is described as open access and includes analyses of disease control rate, median overall survival, immune activation, abscopal effects, tumor necrosis, dose ranging, and safety in heavily pretreated patients with advanced solid tumors.
According to the company’s summary of the publication, the study reported disease control in a substantial proportion of patients, median overall survival outcomes in the overall population and in a metastatic sarcoma subset, and evidence of systemic immune engagement. The company notes that pharmacokinetic data indicated that most of the active cytotoxic agents remained in the injected tumors, and that dose-limiting toxicities were not observed among monotherapy patients in the study.
Regulatory and listing context
Intensity Therapeutics’ common stock trades on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol INTS. SEC filings and company press releases describe interactions with Nasdaq regarding continued listing requirements. For example, the company has disclosed receiving a deficiency notice related to stockholders’ equity and later reporting that, based on subsequent capital raises and financial reporting, it believed it had regained compliance with the applicable stockholders’ equity requirement, with Nasdaq staff confirming compliance as of a later review date.
Separate Nasdaq communications have addressed the minimum bid price requirement. Intensity reported that Nasdaq granted a 180-day extension to regain compliance with the minimum $1.00 bid price requirement, with a stated deadline for achieving a qualifying closing bid price over a specified consecutive trading-day period. The company has stated its intention to monitor its stock price and consider appropriate actions to cure any deficiency within the compliance period. Stockholders have also been asked to vote on a potential reverse stock split within a defined ratio range, as described in the company’s definitive proxy statement and related 8-K filings.
Corporate governance and stockholder matters
In its SEC filings, Intensity Therapeutics has described amendments to its bylaws and stockholder meeting procedures. One reported amendment changed the quorum requirement for stockholder meetings from a majority of the voting power to at least one-third of the voting power of stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote, present in person or by remote communication or represented by proxy. The company has also detailed the conduct of a virtual special meeting of stockholders to consider, among other things, an amendment to its certificate of incorporation to authorize a reverse stock split within a specified range, and the possible adjournment of that meeting if additional time for proxy solicitation were needed.
Financial strategy and capital resources
Public disclosures from Intensity Therapeutics describe multiple capital-raising activities, including at-the-market offerings and a registered direct offering of common stock. The company has stated that proceeds from these financings are intended to support advancement of clinical trials, working capital, and general corporate purposes. Press releases and 8-K filings discuss the impact of these financings on the company’s cash runway and its ability to fund planned clinical and operational activities over a multi-year period, subject to future funding needs and market conditions.
Position within biotechnology and oncology research
Based on its public descriptions, Intensity Therapeutics operates within the biotechnology sector with a specific focus on research and development in oncology. Its work centers on intratumoral therapies for solid tumors, including metastatic and locally advanced disease settings. The company emphasizes cancers such as soft tissue sarcomas and triple-negative breast cancer in its clinical programs, while also reporting experience treating a range of advanced solid tumor types in early-phase studies.
Intensity’s disclosures highlight a focus on non-covalent drug conjugation chemistry, intratumoral delivery of cytotoxic agents, and the potential for systemic immune activation arising from local tumor destruction. The company’s development path, as described in its press releases and SEC filings, involves moving from early-phase dose escalation and safety studies into randomized Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials, as well as pursuing peer-reviewed publication of clinical data.
FAQs about Intensity Therapeutics, Inc. (INTS)
- What does Intensity Therapeutics, Inc. do?
According to its public statements, Intensity Therapeutics is a late-stage clinical biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing proprietary intratumoral cancer therapies. Its approach uses non-covalent drug-conjugation technology to create drug products designed to kill tumors and increase immune system recognition of cancers. - What is INT230-6?
INT230-6 is Intensity’s lead proprietary investigational product candidate. Company materials describe it as a drug for direct intratumoral injection, discovered using the DfuseRx℠ platform. It consists of cisplatin and vinblastine sulfate combined with a diffusion and cell penetration enhancer molecule (SHAO) that helps disperse cytotoxic drugs throughout tumors and allows them to enter cancer cells. - How is INT230-6 administered?
Public descriptions state that INT230-6 is designed for direct intratumoral injection into solid tumors. The formulation is intended to mix with and saturate the tumor environment, with pharmacokinetic data indicating that most of the active agents remain in the injected tumor. - What cancers is Intensity Therapeutics studying?
Company disclosures indicate that INT230-6 has been studied in advanced solid tumors, including sarcomas, in a Phase 1/2 dose escalation study, and in locally advanced breast cancer in the INVINCIBLE-2 Study. Ongoing and planned programs include a Phase 3 trial in specific soft tissue sarcoma subtypes (INVINCIBLE-3) and a Phase 2 presurgical trial in triple-negative breast cancer (INVINCIBLE-4) as part of a Phase 2/3 program. - What is the INVINCIBLE-3 Study?
The INVINCIBLE-3 Study (NCT06263231) is described as a Phase 3 open-label, randomized clinical trial testing INT230-6 as second- or third-line monotherapy in certain soft tissue sarcoma subtypes, compared to standard-of-care drugs. The primary endpoint is overall survival. Company updates note that new site activations and patient enrollment were paused due to funding constraints, with plans to restart when funding allows. - What is the INVINCIBLE-4 Study?
The INVINCIBLE-4 Study (NCT06358573) is a Phase 2 randomized, presurgical trial in early-stage, operable triple-negative breast cancer. It evaluates INT230-6 followed by standard-of-care immunochemotherapy versus standard of care alone, with pathological complete response (pCR) as the primary endpoint. Intensity has reported early favorable safety observations and a pCR in the first evaluated patient in the INT230-6 cohort, while also noting a temporary pause in new enrollment to adjust dosing in response to localized skin irritation. - What is DfuseRx℠ technology?
DfuseRx℠ is the proprietary technology platform that Intensity Therapeutics reports using to discover and design INT230-6. Company descriptions state that the platform enables aqueous cytotoxic-containing drug formulations to mix and saturate tumors, facilitating dispersion of cytotoxic agents and penetration into cancer cells via non-covalent conjugation with an enhancer molecule. - How does Intensity describe the immune effects of INT230-6?
According to published summaries and company communications, INT230-6 is reported to cause direct tumor killing and release of neoantigens, leading to immune system engagement and systemic anti-tumor effects. Clinical and translational data described by the company include observations of abscopal effects in some patients and increased activated T-cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment, without the immunosuppression often associated with systemic chemotherapy. - On which exchange does INTS trade?
Intensity Therapeutics’ common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol INTS. Company filings and press releases refer to Nasdaq listing requirements, including minimum stockholders’ equity and minimum bid price rules. - What regulatory or listing challenges has the company disclosed?
SEC filings and press releases describe that Intensity has received Nasdaq notices regarding stockholders’ equity and minimum bid price requirements. The company has reported raising additional capital, receiving confirmation of compliance with the stockholders’ equity requirement at a later review, and being granted a 180-day extension to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement, while stating its intention to monitor its stock price and consider actions to address any deficiency.