MPC Therapeutics raises CHF 1.5 million in a seed round to improve CAR-T cancer therapies
10.01.2023
Venture Kick alum MPC Therapeutics (MPC Tx), a Swiss biotechnology company focused on metabolism and rejuvenation, today announced the closing of its seed funding round with CHF 1.5 million. Funds will serve to advance MPC Tx’s proprietary small molecule towards clinical trials and open new therapeutic applications.
 MPC Therapeutics' co-founder Raphael Martinou and his father, Prof. Jean-Claude Martinou
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MPC Tx was founded in 2018 to develop molecules able to modulate mitochondrial function and trigger cellular reprogramming to fight cancer and degenerative diseases. Based on the pioneering work of Prof. Jean-Claude Martinou from University of Geneva (UNIGE), the company was able to screen, optimize and patent small molecule compounds which specifically inhibit the Mitochondrial Pyruvate Carrier (MPC).
The MPC Tx’s lead program aims to improve the performance and durability of CAR-T cell therapy. The preparation of CAR-T cells in the presence of the MPC Therapeutics' compound has been shown in different preclinical cancer models to dramatically improve survival compared to standard CAR-T cells.
"CAR-T cell therapies give hope to patients that failed to respond to earlier cancer treatments, yet too often these patients still relapse one year after CAR-T cell therapy," Raphaël Martinou, CEO and co-founder of MPC Therapeutics said. "Reprogramming T-cells by modulating their metabolism could really transform sub-optimal treatments into highly performing life-saving ones."
The seed investment funding will enable MPC Tx to advance its T-cell therapy adjuvant program into the clinic by 2024. In addition, as modulating mitochondrial function has been shown to promote stem cell proliferation, the team plans to generate proof of concept data to position its proprietary molecules as novel clinical approaches for alopecia.
The funding round was led by Plutus Investment Group, a London-based family office, and received additional funding from business angels.
MPC Therapeutics competed in Venture Kick's program in 2019 and was awarded CHF 10,000 to develop their startup.
The MPC Tx’s lead program aims to improve the performance and durability of CAR-T cell therapy. The preparation of CAR-T cells in the presence of the MPC Therapeutics' compound has been shown in different preclinical cancer models to dramatically improve survival compared to standard CAR-T cells.
"CAR-T cell therapies give hope to patients that failed to respond to earlier cancer treatments, yet too often these patients still relapse one year after CAR-T cell therapy," Raphaël Martinou, CEO and co-founder of MPC Therapeutics said. "Reprogramming T-cells by modulating their metabolism could really transform sub-optimal treatments into highly performing life-saving ones."
The seed investment funding will enable MPC Tx to advance its T-cell therapy adjuvant program into the clinic by 2024. In addition, as modulating mitochondrial function has been shown to promote stem cell proliferation, the team plans to generate proof of concept data to position its proprietary molecules as novel clinical approaches for alopecia.
The funding round was led by Plutus Investment Group, a London-based family office, and received additional funding from business angels.
MPC Therapeutics competed in Venture Kick's program in 2019 and was awarded CHF 10,000 to develop their startup.