Successful Startup Support Consulting by CBAIC: Oncovirtuous Receives Research Transfer Grant of Nearly 2 Million Euros
The Oncovirtuous team, led by Dr. Anja Geisler, Leslie Kamstra, and Esther Horn, has set itself the goal of increasing the therapeutic efficacy of oncolytic viruses (OVs) following intravenous administration, thereby developing the next generation of cancer immunotherapy for the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC). Oncovirtuous is now receiving a grant of nearly 2 million euros to further develop its invention as part of the BMWE’s “exist Forschungstransfer” funding program.
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Accounting for about 10% of all new cancer cases and cancer deaths worldwide, colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers globally.
Immunotherapies have brought about major improvements in cancer treatment in recent years. Oncolytic viruses (OVs) represent a very promising class of immunotherapeutics. They specifically infect tumor cells and kill them, thereby activating the immune system to effectively combat the tumor. Nevertheless, OV therapies have not yet achieved a breakthrough. For instance, the standard intratumoral administration of OV is impractical and inefficient for hard-to-reach or metastatic tumors, and intravenous administration has also been only moderately effective to date due to the rapid neutralization and clearance of OV in the blood.
PROJECT OBJECTIVE
The Oncovirtuous founding team — comprising Dr. Anja Geisler, Leslie Kamstra, and Esther Horn — has set out to significantly increase the therapeutic efficacy of OVs following intravenous administration, thereby developing the next generation of cancer immunotherapy for the treatment of colorectal cancer.
THE TECHNOLOGY
For years, the team has been conducting research at the Technical University of Berlin in collaboration with Charité to improve OVs, ultimately developing a novel oncolytic Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) of the PD-KPC strain that can more effectively kill colorectal cancer cells.
In addition to its improved properties, the innovation of their work lies in the use of synthetic infectious viral RNA (iRNA) from the PD-KPC virus (iPD-KPC), which is encapsulated in nanocarriers (iPD-KPC technology). Encapsulation protects the iRNA from degradation in the blood and ensures that the OV PD-KPC is formed from the viral RNA only in situ within the tumor tissue, where high viral titers are generated. Sequences in the viral genome are designed to enable targeted virus formation in the tumor tissue and prevent viral replication in healthy tissue.
This approach could herald a paradigm shift in oncolytic immunotherapy. In proof-of-principle studies, the team was able to demonstrate the production and functionality of iPD-KPC following encapsulation in nanocarriers.
PROJECT UNDER THE FUNDING PROGRAM
As part of the funding provided by exist Forschungstransfer, the iPD-KPC technology will be further developed with a focus on oncolytic efficacy, safety, and formulation, and optimized for effective systemic therapy of colorectal cancer (CRC). The suitability of this approach for the treatment of CRC has been demonstrated by in vitro and in vivo preliminary studies and will be further validated as part of the project. The goal after a 36-month project duration is to identify an optimized iPD-KPC-opt nanocarrier lead candidate as the basis for subsequent preclinical drug development and further clinical translation.
ABOUT THE “exist” RESEARCH TRANSFER FUNDING PROGRAM
OBJECTIVE OF THE FUNDING PROGRAM
The “Startups from Science” (exist) funding program is the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy’s (BMWE) central startup funding initiative for startups originating from science and research, which is funded by the BMWE and the European Union through the European Social Fund Plus (ESF Plus). The program’s goal is to translate scientific findings into commercial applications and to promote the creation of innovative startups. To this end, exist supports aspiring entrepreneurs, founders, universities, research institutions, and startup ecosystems in the development and implementation of innovative, knowledge-based startup projects.
STRUCTURE OF THE FUNDING PROGRAM
The BMWE funding program consists of two funding phases:
In the first funding phase, research results with start-up potential are to be further developed. The goal is to address issues related to the translation of scientific findings into technical products and processes, to develop the resulting business idea into a business plan, and to prepare for the planned company launch.
The second funding phase focuses on further development work, the commencement of business operations, and preparations for external corporate financing.
FOUNDING TEAM
Dr. Anja Geisler is a co-founder and project manager at Oncovirtuous. She has extensive experience in oncolytic virotherapy, including the development of viral vectors and viruses, preclinical study design, work with various tumor models, and the development of RNA formulations based on nanocarriers. She has published numerous original papers on oncolytic CVB3 virotherapy, played a key role in patent developments, and holds the relevant technical and regulatory qualifications.
Leslie Kamstra is a co-founder of Oncovirtuous and possesses extensive expertise in research involving oncolytic CVB3 viruses. She has conducted numerous in vitro and in vivo studies and has contributed significantly to the further development of this therapeutic approach. In addition, she has published numerous original papers on oncolytic CVB3 virotherapy and played a key role in the development of patents.
Esther Horn is a co-founder of Oncovirtuous and serves as Chief Commercial Officer, bringing extensive experience in strategy, business development, finance, and commercial development. Previously, she held international positions at Nestlé, GSK, and most recently Sanofi. Her expertise includes the development and implementation of corporate and go-to-market strategies, the successful launch of innovative vaccines, the economic management of complex business units, and the leadership of international, cross-functional teams.
The founding team combines scientific expertise in oncolytic virotherapy and RNA technology with in-depth experience in corporate development, strategic planning, and commercial execution. These competencies complement each other perfectly and together form the foundation for the scientific, entrepreneurial, and strategic advancement of Oncovirtuous.
MENTORING
Prof. Dr. Sophie Van Linthout is a professor of immunocardiology at the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, where she leads the “Translational Immunocardiology” research group at the BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies. As a project mentor, she provides the co-founders of Oncovirtuous with scientific and strategic guidance throughout the entire project.
The team is also supported by Dr. Henry Fechner, a research group leader at the Technical University of Berlin. Startup advisor Dr. Bettina Otto from the Charité BIH ARC Innovation Center (CBAIC), the central innovation unit of Charité and BIH, supported Oncovirtuous in its preparations for the exist research transfer funding program and will continue to advise the team throughout the program’s duration.
For questions regarding startup funding, CBAIC is available to interested researchers at any time at innovation@charite.de.