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Cambridge spin-out T-Therapeutics’ major advancement in TCR therapeutic development secures £48 million in Series A funding
In a major stride for our battle against cancer, T-Therapeutics, a University of Cambridge spin-out, has secured a staggering £48 million in Series A funding.
The company, which is built on the foundations of research from Professor Allan Bradley in the University’s Department of Medicine, is pioneering technology which harnesses the power of T cells, offering a potential game-changer in the development of first-in-class cancer therapeutics.
T-Therapeutics’ technology works by training the body’s own T cells to identify, target and eradicate tumours. While other T cell receptor (TCR) technologies work in a similar fashion, they can lack specificity and only apply to certain cancers, which can lead to significant side effects. The company’s OpTiMus® platform can sidestep this issue by creating a near unlimited database of optimal TCRs, which can act as building blocks for new therapies.
Professor Allan Bradley, Chief Executive Officer, T-Therapeutics
The blockbuster Series A investment is spearheaded by Sofinnova Partners and F-Prime Capital, with contributions from Digitalis Ventures, Sanofi Ventures, Cambridge Innovation Capital, and the University of Cambridge Venture Fund. The fresh injection of funds will fuel T-Therapeutics’ ambition to expand its TCR-based medicine pipeline, targeting not just cancer but also various autoimmune disorders. Cambridge Enterprise, the university innovation arm of Cambridge, has been a crucial ally in this venture, aiding the transition from academic research to commercial reality.
The team at T-Therapeutics includes highly experienced antibody engineers and drug developers who were responsible for the creation of the Kymab and PetMedix antibody discovery platforms and pipelines among other notable discoveries, including at Adaptimmune and GSK. Of note, Kymab was acquired by Sanofi in 2021 for $1.45 billion and PetMedix was acquired by Zoetis, the world’s largest animal health company, in September this year.
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