Pan Cancer T, a Rotterdam, the Netherlands-based biotech startup developing T cell therapies for solid cancer treatment, raised €4.25M in Seed extension funding.
The round, which brought the total amount to approx. €11M, was led by InnovationQuarter with participation from existing investors Van Herk Ventures, Thuja Capital, Swanbridge Capital and Erasmus MC O&O Holdings. As a result, Investment Manager of InnovationQuarter Nina Satih will take a Supervisory Board observer role.
The company intends to use the funds to complete preclinical studies for its lead TCR-T cell product, PCT1:CO-STIM, and progress CMC activities, thereby creating value and derisking the project. The funding will also support progression of earlier-stage pipeline projects targeting colorectal and ovarian cancers and the development of a second next generation engineering approach.
Founded in late 2020 as a spin-off from Erasmus MC, and led by CEO Rachel Abbott, Pan Cancer T advances TCR T cell therapies for hard-to-treat solid tumors. Its approach includes two differentiating elements. First, it exploits unique targets for T cells that are exclusively and robustly expressed by multiple solid cancers. Second, it develops technologies that enhance the durability of the T cells. The company has ongoing R&D programs to develop safe and effective adoptive T cell therapies amenable to large cohorts of patients with triple negative breast cancer as well as cancers of the bladder, ovarium, colorectum, prostate, skin, esophagus, lung, or brain.
Pan Cancer T’s lead clinical candidate, PCT1:CO-STIM, features an IP-protected T cell receptor (TCR), generated with the company’s validated TCR discovery platform, which is highly specific for ROPN1, a novel tumour-restricted target strongly expressed in over 90% of patients with triple negative breast cancer and melanoma. Moreover, it incorporates a proprietary TME solution, which provides co-stimulation to T cells, even in the hostile TME, resulting in significantly improved response duration in preclinical models.
FinSMEs
11/07/2024