Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) are chronic, relapsing inflammatory conditions that affect millions of patients worldwide. Despite multiple approved therapies, many patients fail to achieve sustained remission, lose response over time, or require surgery due to progressive disease. Persistent inflammation can lead to irreversible bowel damage, including fibrosis and strictures, highlighting the need for safe, effective therapies that deliver durable control of disease activity earlier in the treatment paradigm.

We are developing a new class of PDE4 inhibitor prodrugs. Our lead program, PALI-2108, is a once-daily oral PDE4 inhibitor prodrug designed to be selectively bioactivated in the ileum and colon, initiating targeted PDE4 inhibition at sites of disease while enabling systemic distribution of the active drug. This design enables localized activation in the gastrointestinal tract and supports a differentiated approach to treating ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.