Laguna Bio develops engineered, highly attenuated microbial platforms that activate innate T‑cell subsets (γδ, MAIT, NKT) directly in patients to generate robust anti‑tumor immunity. By delivering precise immune‑stimulating signals in vivo, its QUAIL and IBIS platforms aim to provide scalable, off‑the‑shelf immunotherapies for high‑risk hematologic malignancies and solid tumors without the complexity of ex vivo cell engineering.
Funding
$11.7M 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
Cancers often evade detection by suppressing the immune system, limiting the effectiveness of existing immunotherapies such as checkpoint inhibitors, antibody drugs, and engineered cell therapies. This immune evasion is especially problematic in high‑risk leukemias (e.g., AML) and solid tumors like soft‑tissue sarcomas, where current treatments show low response rates.
Solution
Laguna Bio’s QUAIL and IBIS platforms employ highly attenuated microbial vectors to activate innate T‑cell subsets—including γδ T cells, MAIT cells, and NKT cells—directly within the patient’s body. By delivering precise immune‑stimulating signals in vivo, the platforms trigger robust expansion of these unconventional T cells, enhancing tumor recognition and destruction without the need for ex vivo cell engineering. The microbes are designed to be non‑replicative outside host cells, providing small‑molecule‑like pharmacokinetics and predictable dosing. This approach aims to produce durable anti‑tumor immunity across multiple cancer types while simplifying manufacturing and improving scalability compared with traditional cell‑based therapies.
Target Audience
Primary customers are oncology biotech and pharmaceutical companies, as well as academic and clinical research groups developing immunotherapies for hematologic cancers and solid tumors that require scalable, off‑the‑shelf solutions.
Features
- Engineered, highly attenuated microbial vectors that cannot survive outside host cells, ensuring predictable PK/PD akin to small‑molecule drugs
- In vivo activation and expansion of innate T‑cell populations (γδ T cells, MAIT cells, NKT cells) to target tumors and orchestrate broader immune responses
- Two platform tiers: QUAIL for broad innate activation and IBIS for tissue‑specific targeting of innate T cells to precise tumor sites
- Elimination of ex vivo cell manipulation, reducing manufacturing complexity and risk associated with CAR‑T and other cell therapies
- Designed for application in high‑risk hematologic malignancies (AML, multiple myeloma) and solid tumors such as soft‑tissue sarcoma and colorectal cancer