TILT Biotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing cancer immunotherapies based on its proprietary, best-in-class oncolytic adenoviruses armed with molecules including cytokines that can stimulate, or enhance T-cell responses.
Science
The Company’s patented technology is about oncolytic immunotherapies that modify the tumor microenvironment and eliminates its ability to suppress immune responses to cancer. This therapeutic approach supports the enhancement of combination T cell therapies such as checkpoint inhibitors and CAR T therapies. The technology has the advantage that it can be delivered locally and systemically.
Clinical pipeline
TILT’s lead asset, TILT-123, is a 5/3 chimeric serotype adenovirus armed with two human T- cell stimulating cytokines; TNF alpha and IL-2. TILT-123 has demonstrated a 100% response rate in preclinical cancer models in vivo, and it is currently under study in multiple Phase 1 clinical trials, in monotherapy and in combination with different immunotherapies in Europe, U.S.A., and China.
Partnered clinical programs
The Company’s pioneering approach has been recognized by industry leaders including Germany’s Merck KGaA and the USA’s Pfizer, who are collaborating to investigate TILT-123’s therapeutic effect in combination with the PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor, Avelumab (Bavencio®), in clinical trials.
In 2019, TILT established an additional partnership with Biotheus, a privately held Chinese company based in Zhuhai, Guangdong, China, for the development and commercialization of TILT’s proprietary oncolytic virus TILT-123 in Greater China.
History and investors
Based in Helsinki, Finland, the Company was established in 2013 as a spin-out from University of Helsinki, leveraging on patient observations and proof of concept data gained by our scientific founders from 290 patients treated with 10 different types of oncolytic viruses. The company has received funding from Lifeline Ventures, angel investors, Business Finland, and the European Innovation Council (EIC). In addition, licensing revenue is used to fund its development programs.