cancer-therapy
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The Cancer Drug Isn’t Broken. Navrogen Thinks the Tumor Is Blocking the Signal
A tiny Pennsylvania biotech is betting that some antibody therapies fail for a surprisingly fixable reason: tumors throw molecular sand in the gears. Its answer is to redesign the antibody - or remove the sand.
Alpha-9 Oncology
Alpha-9 Oncology is a clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company engineering bespoke, tumor-targeting molecules that deliver alpha- and beta-emitting isotopes directly to cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. Spun out of the University of British Columbia and BC Cancer in 2019 and now headquartered in Boston with research operations in Vancouver, the company iteratively optimizes each part of a radiopharmaceutical - binder, linker, chelator and radioisotope - to build a pipeline of paired imaging and therapy candidates. Backed by $258M in total funding, including a $175M Series C in 2024, Alpha-9 aims to expand precision radiotherapy across validated oncology targets.
Kivu Bioscience
Kivu Bioscience is a clinical-stage biotechnology company in San Mateo, California, building next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for solid tumors. Founded by BioGeneration Ventures and led by ADC veteran Mohit Trikha, the company licenses Synaffix's GlycoConnect and HydraSpace site-specific conjugation technology to engineer more homogeneous, stable ADCs that aim to widen the therapeutic window - hitting tumors harder while sparing healthy tissue. Backed by a $92 million Series A led by Novo Holdings, Kivu has moved its lead candidates KIVU-107 (PTK7) and KIVU-305 (CEACAM5) into Phase 1 clinical trials.
Myris Therapeutics
Myris Therapeutics is a Pittsburgh-based precision oncology company building the next generation of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs). Formerly BioHybrid Solutions, Myris uses proprietary polymer chemistry rooted in Carnegie Mellon's ATRP (atom transfer radical polymerization) technology to grow polymer bottlebrushes on antibodies, achieving ultra-high drug-to-antibody ratios (DAR) of 50-300 - roughly 10 to 100 times higher than conventional ADCs. That capability opens up new chemical space for cancer payloads that were previously unusable, aiming to deliver more potent, precisely targeted therapies.
Alterome Therapeutics, Inc
Alterome Therapeutics is a San Diego-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company building next-generation small molecule cancer drugs aimed at specific oncogenic mutations. Using its Kraken platform - a structure-guided, machine-learning approach to drug design - Alterome has advanced two precision oncology programs into the clinic: ALTA2618, an AKT1 E17K mutation-selective inhibitor, and ALTA3263, a KRAS-selective inhibitor covering roughly 90% of KRAS mutations including G12V and G12D.
Autem Therapeutics
Autem Therapeutics is a Hanover, New Hampshire bioelectric oncology company developing AutEMsys, a non-invasive, non-toxic device that delivers personalized, low-level, amplitude-modulated electromagnetic frequencies to patients with solid tumors. Founded by medical oncologist Frederico Costa and led by CEO Michael Choukas, the company targets hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) and other hard-to-treat cancers, aiming to make effective cancer care portable, affordable, and accessible worldwide. Its lead program has earned FDA Breakthrough Device designation for advanced HCC.
Edgewood Oncology
Edgewood Oncology is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing BTX-A51, a first-in-class oral small-molecule multi-kinase inhibitor that co-targets casein kinase 1 alpha (CK1α) and cyclin-dependent kinases 7 and 9 (CDK7/CDK9) - three master regulators of cancer cell survival and transcription. Founded by veteran biotech executive David N. Cook and emerging from stealth in March 2024 with $20M in Series A financing from Alta Partners, the company is advancing BTX-A51 through Phase 2a trials in relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia and genetically-defined (GATA3-mutant) ER+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer.