The Edinburgh-based cancer biotech company’s technology kills cancerous cells and stimulates the immune system while leaving surrounding healthy tissue untouched.
Edinburgh-based cancer biotech company Trogenix has raised £70 million in Series A funding to help develop its pipeline of potentially curative cancer therapies across multiple aggressive solid tumours into the clinic.
To date, the company has raised £85 million in funding, according to Crunchbase. It last raised £15 million in seed funding in January last year.
The current financing round was led by venture capital firm IQ Capital with participation from founding investor London-based venture firm 4BIO Capital, returning investors Cancer Research Horizons and the National Brain Tumor Society’s Brain Tumor Investment Fund. New investors included Eli Lilly, Meltwind, LongeVC and Calculus Capital, as well as undisclosed private investors.
“Trogenix’s platform technology is a powerful example of the innovation we seek to accelerate. Representing our largest investment to date, this partnership reflects our commitment to advancing science with the potential to transform cancer treatment,” said Iain Foulkes, chief executive officer at Cancer Research Horizons.
Precision cancer treatments
Trogenix’s technology delivers combination payloads that kill cancerous cells and stimulate the immune system while leaving surrounding healthy tissue untouched.
The firm’s lead programme, in glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant brain cancers, is advancing toward clinical trials with first patient dosing anticipated in the first quarter of next year. Only a quarter of glioblastoma patients survive beyond one year, and treatment options remain limited.
The company’s follow-on programme is in colorectal cancer liver metastases.
Playing a central role in Trogenix’s precision cancer treatments are its proprietary synthetic super enhancers, which are activated by targeting the unique identity of diseased cell states, rather than individual genes, to control two key payloads: a cytotoxic prodrug converting enzyme and an immune-stimulating cytokine.
In addition to its lead and follow-on programmes, Trogenix will be developing its pipeline focused on other aggressive solid cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma and non-small cell lung carcinoma.
