Accession Therapeutics develops highly targeted immuno‑oncology therapies using its Trocept platform, a stealth viral vector that selectively enters cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. The platform delivers a checkpoint‑inhibitor gene directly into tumors, inducing local immune activation and oncolysis, and is being evaluated in the Phase 1/2 ATTEST trial for solid epithelial cancers.
Funding
$31.3M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Current immuno‑oncology therapies often affect healthy tissues and struggle to activate immune responses in heterogeneous solid tumors, limiting efficacy and causing adverse side effects.
Solution
Accession Therapeutics has developed the Trocept platform, a stealth viral system engineered to enter cancer cells while sparing normal tissue. The platform delivers a gene encoding a checkpoint inhibitor directly into tumor cells, where it is expressed and secreted locally, converting immunologically “cold” tumors into “hot” ones. The virus replicates only within cancer cells, amplifying its therapeutic payload and inducing oncolysis. This dual mechanism—localized checkpoint inhibition and virus‑mediated tumor cell killing—aims to provide a more potent and tumor‑specific immunotherapy for a range of solid cancers. The first candidate, TROCEPT‑01 (ATTR‑01), is currently in a Phase 1/2 master protocol (ATTEST) evaluating safety and activity across multiple epithelial tumor types.
Target Audience
Primary customers are oncology drug developers and clinical research organizations seeking next‑generation, tumor‑targeted immunotherapies, as well as oncologists treating patients with solid epithelial cancers.
Features
- Engineered viral vector that selectively binds to and enters cancer cells, avoiding healthy cells
- Delivery of a checkpoint‑inhibitor gene that is expressed and secreted only within the tumor microenvironment
- Tumor‑restricted viral replication leading to oncolysis and amplification of the therapeutic effect
- Platform flexibility to incorporate diverse therapeutic payloads for different tumor indications
- Intravenous administration compatible with standard oncology infusion practices
- Preclinical data showing high tumor specificity and potent immune activation