The UCLB spinouts transforming cancer care 

UCLB was this week given the opportunity to showcase its spinouts’ next wave cancer treatments at UCL’s Cancer Symposium. Here Richard Fagan, Director of Biopharm at UCLB, details some of the companies offering hope to the millions impacted by the condition. 

The UCL Cancer Symposium, organised by the UCL Cancer Domain, took place on Wednesday, 1st May, and represented a fruitful platform to inform individuals from a wide range of disciplines about how UCLB’s cancer spinouts exemplify the power of collaboration between academia, industry, and healthcare. 

Here are some of our pioneering spinouts’ technologies breaking new ground in oncology: 

Qualigen Therapeutics 

This clinical stage spinout recently announced that the first patient in the Phase 1a clinical trial has been dosed with QN-302, a potential first-in-class, investigational G-Quadruplex (G4)-selective transcription inhibitor designed for the treatment of advanced or metastatic solid tumours. 

Read more here. 

Novalgen 

This clinical-stage immuno-oncology company strives to create ground-breaking therapies that empower the body’s immune system to combat cancer and other related diseases.  

The company recently shared promising findings from the NVG-111-101, a First in Human, Phase I clinical study showing positive responses in 58% of evaluable patients with relapsed refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) across both combination and monotherapy regimens, durable to 24 months. 

Autolus  

Through cutting-edge technologies such as CAR-T cell therapy, Autolus aims to harness the power of the body’s immune system to target and destroy cancer cells. With a focus on precision and efficacy, Autolus’s therapies hold the promise of offering new hope to patients battling various forms of cancer. 

Read about Autolus’ recent investment: BioNTech to invest $250m in UCLB spinout Autolus 

Endomag 

Endomag’s mission is to revolutionise breast cancer staging. They use magnetic technology to eliminate the need for radioactivity during breast cancer staging procedures. Their system allows surgeons to precisely locate and remove cancerous tissue, improving both patient safety and surgical efficiency. 

Read our Endomag case study. 

UCLB’s Impact 

Over the last five years, UCL spinouts have collectively attracted over £2.75bn in external investment. These ventures not only drive economic growth but also advance scientific knowledge and improve patient care. We can expect even more exciting cancer breakthroughs from our spinouts over the coming years.