This biotech company, started by a Cambridge nanoscientist, is working on better treatment options for patients with difficult-to-treat cancers.
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are designed to target and kill cancer cells while sparing healthy ones. These therapies combine powerful drugs with antibodies that specifically target cancer cells.
Spirea is focusing its innovative ADCs on treating certain solid tumours, where current treatment options are few.
While ADCs aim to improve upon existing treatments, many have faced challenges in clinical development such as toxicity, limited effectiveness, and the range of cancers they can treat.
Spirea’s technology aims to improve this by attaching more drug to each antibody, enhancing the ability to kill cancer cells.
“With our novel approach to building Antibody-drug conjugate therapeutics, we aim to radically improve the treatment options for patients with hard-to-treat cancers.”
Revolutionising cancer treatment with antibody-drug conjugates
Spirea is a biotech company that emerged from the University of Cambridge, specialising in the development of next-generation Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs) for targeted cancer therapy. Founded by Dr Myriam Ouberai at the Nanoscience Centre, Spirea aims to revolutionise cancer treatment with its innovative antibody-drug conjugate platform, which enhances the efficacy and safety of cancer drugs by delivering precise doses directly to cancer cells.
The company’s unique ELIVATE linker technology allows for the incorporation of a variety of drug payloads, optimising the therapeutic potential of ADCs. This technology addresses critical unmet needs in oncology by enabling higher drug-to-antibody ratios and ensuring precise drug delivery, which significantly improves patient outcomes. Spirea’s mission is to develop ADCs that not only target cancer cells more effectively but also reduce the debilitating side effects often associated with cancer treatments.
Spirea has successfully secured significant investments to advance its research and development. In 2020, they raised £2.4 million in a funding round co-led by Cambridge Enterprise Ventures, which included contributions from investors such as Jonathan Milner, US-based R42 Group, ACF Investors, o2h Ventures, Syndicate Room, and The Cambridge Angels. This funding supports Spirea’s efforts to initiate a pipeline of ADCs, with a focus on solid tumours, and to generate additional data to support its high drug-to-antibody ratio strategy.
Tags: ADCs, Antibody-drug conjugates
