EpiVario Signs Option Agreement with the Univ of Pennsylvania for ACSS2 Inhibitors Targeting Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Penn-owned patent filing includes a first-in-class metabolic-epigenetic approach to treat inflammatory bowel disease

PHILADELPHIA, PA, UNITED STATES, October 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — EpiVario, Inc., a preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing small-molecule inhibitors of acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2), today announced that it has entered into an option agreement with the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) for a patent application that includes ACSS2 inhibitors and their use for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which encompasses Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is a chronic, relapsing-remitting condition of the gastrointestinal tract affecting more than 7 million people worldwide. Despite the introduction of anti-TNF agents, anti-integrins, anti-interleukin biologics, and JAK inhibitors, a substantial share of patients fail to achieve remission, lose response over time, or cannot tolerate long-term immunosuppression. Relapse remains a defining feature of the disease and a principal driver of hospitalization, surgical resection, and cumulative bowel damage.

ACSS2 converts acetate into acetyl-CoA, the metabolic substrate required for histone acetylation and other acyl modifications. Under metabolic stress, the enzyme translocates to the nucleus, where it couples the availability of local acetate to the transcriptional programs that govern cell state. Because the gut lumen is one of the most acetate-rich environments in the body — a product of microbial fermentation — ACSS2 sits at a distinctive intersection of microbiome, metabolism, and gene regulation in intestinal tissue.

“We are thrilled about this research in my lab showing that ACSS2 is driving gene expression of inflammatory pathways, which are responsible for the devastating symptoms of a large group of IBDs. This means that inhibitors of ACSS2 could be effective therapeutics in treatment to ameliorate the disease. Current treatments for IBD directly target single inflammatory mechanisms—our approach is completely distinct, to inhibit metabolic pathways broadly feeding into inflammatory pathways, and thus provide an exciting new treatment approach,” said Shelley Berger, Ph.D., the Daniel S. Och University Professor in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Under the terms of the agreement, EpiVario is granted an exclusive option to negotiate a license to the Penn-owned intellectual property. The filing is based on research conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Berger, who is founding director of the Penn Epigenetics Institute, and a co-founder of EpiVario. Financial terms of the option agreement were not disclosed.

Over the next several months, EpiVario intends to nominate one of its proprietary ACSS2 inhibitors as the lead candidate and advance it through IND-enabling studies in preclinical models of colitis, with the goal of entering first-in-human trials for ulcerative colitis.

“ACSS2’s role in inflammatory bowel disease is another example of epigenetic regulation sitting at the root of disease,” said Thomas Kim, Chief Executive Officer of EpiVario. “Our potent and selective small-molecule ACSS2 inhibitors give us a differentiated approach to harness that biology, and ulcerative colitis is a setting where patients badly need new options.”

Dr. Berger is a scientific founder of, and an equity holder in, EpiVario. The University of Pennsylvania holds equity in EpiVario, has received sponsored research funding from EpiVario, has previously licensed certain intellectual property to EpiVario, and may receive future funding and financial consideration based on development and commercialization of certain products by EpiVario.

About EpiVario
EpiVario is pioneering novel epigenetic therapeutics that target the metabolic control of gene regulation. The company is developing small-molecule inhibitors of acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2), the enzyme that supplies the acetyl-CoA required for histone acetylation and, in doing so, governs which genes a cell activates in response to its environment. In disease, this machinery can become locked into abnormal transcriptional programs — sustained inflammatory signaling in autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, and pathological consolidation of stress- and drug-related memories in PTSD and substance use disorders. By modulating ACSS2, EpiVario aims to reset these programs toward a normal state, establishing a differentiated approach across autoimmune inflammation and memory-related neuropsychiatric disorders.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements about EpiVario, Inc. These include statements regarding the Company’s intent to exercise its option and negotiate a license to the Penn-owned intellectual property, to nominate a lead ACSS2 inhibitor candidate, to conduct IND-enabling studies, and to initiate first-in-human trials in ulcerative colitis, as well as statements regarding the potential therapeutic activity of ACSS2 inhibitors in inflammatory bowel disease. Words such as “intends,” “could,” “aims,” “plans,” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements contain these words. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties, including that the option may not be exercised or a license may not be obtained on acceptable terms; that preclinical results may not predict clinical outcomes; that no product candidate has been nominated, tested in humans, or approved by any regulatory authority; and that the Company may require additional capital. Actual results may differ materially. EpiVario undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement except as required by law.

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