Cytocan develops Tumor‑specific Immune Cytokines (TsICs) that fuse targeting antibodies with engineered cytokine payloads to activate immune cells directly within the tumor microenvironment. Their modular platform, including the Probiokine system for bacterial or probiotic production, enables precise delivery to PD‑1‑positive T cells and other tumor‑associated antigens, aiming to enhance anti‑tumor efficacy while reducing systemic toxicity.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Current cancer immunotherapies, such as PD‑1 inhibitors, often fail in patients with resistant solid tumors and can cause systemic immune‑related adverse events due to non‑targeted cytokine exposure.
Solution
Cytocan has created a modular Tumor‑specific Immune Cytokine (TsIC) platform that fuses targeting antibodies with engineered cytokines to deliver immune activation directly within the tumor microenvironment. By anchoring cytokine activity to PD‑1‑positive T cells or other tumor‑associated antigens (e.g., HER2, EGFR, TROP), the approach amplifies anti‑tumor immunity while minimizing off‑target toxicity. The platform supports expression of functional antibody‑like proteins in bacterial or probiotic systems (Probiokine) for scalable production. Preclinical studies show complete tumor regressions in models of PD‑1‑resistant cancers, and the company is advancing IND filings in both China and the United States.
Target Audience
Primary customers are biopharmaceutical companies and oncology research groups developing next‑generation immunotherapies for solid tumors, especially those seeking solutions for PD‑1‑resistant disease.
Features
- Modular TsIC architecture that couples a high‑affinity targeting antibody (e.g., anti‑PD‑1, anti‑HER2) with potency‑optimized cytokine payloads
- Probiokine technology enabling recombinant antibody‑cytokine expression in bacteria or probiotic strains for cost‑effective manufacturing
- Precise delivery to tumor‑associated immune cells (PD‑1+ T cells) to activate local immunity while reducing systemic exposure
- Multi‑antigen pipeline covering PD‑1, HER2, EGFR, and TROP targets for a range of solid tumors
- Demonstrated complete tumor remission in mouse models of PD‑1 inhibitor‑resistant cancers
- IND‑enabling preclinical package and dual regulatory strategy for China and the United States