TrojanDC

ended

Asgard Therapeutics, a Swedish start-up company, was founded based on a unique proprietary in vivo cell reprogramming technology. This paradigm-shifting gene therapy has the unique potential to overhaul the cancer immunotherapy market. Our gene therapy, named TrojanDC, delivers immune-genes into the tumor and re-educates cancer cells to become anti-tumor immune cells. It uses a viral vector to deliver a unique combination of three critical transcription factors (genes) through intra-tumoral injection. The transcription factors make cancer cells become antigen-presenting dendritic cells. These immunogenic cells present their own diversity of tumor-specific antigens to effector immune cells, reliably and robustly inducing immune responses that eradicate the heterogeneous tumor. Cancer remains a major health challenge. Currently available immunotherapies show strong effectiveness only in a limited number of patients, and often lose their efficacy as the tumor develops resistance. In addition, immunotherapies come with high price (e.g. CAR-T cell approach costing approx. € 350k/patient). Despite these shortcomings, the global immune-oncology market is one of the fastest growing therapeutics markets (€114.6 B by 2024 with a CAGR of 14.3%). Large players like BMS, Merck and Roche have shown to be keen on acquisitions of high-potential technologies. There is thus an urgent need and high demand for innovative cost-effective immunotherapies consistently effective in a broader range of cancer patients – something that Asgard Therapeutics will deliver with TrojanDC in the form of a personalized and highly specific immune therapy using a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. With in-vivo proof-of-concept data already obtained and a balanced team of high-performing scientists and seasoned entrepreneurs, Asgard Therapeutics has locked up key factors towards maximizing its chances of success. This SME instrument grant will ensure a sound strategy towards commercialization of TrojanDC.