The Oxford-based biotechnology company Theolytics has been awarded €8 million in non-dilutive grant funding from Horizon Europe 2025.
This competitive award – following a rigorous review process – is designed to support the company’s phase 2 OCTOPOD-IV clinical trial. The study evaluates THEO-260, a novel therapeutic candidate developed to treat advanced ovarian cancer by killing both cancer cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts.
The grant application was coordinated with several international partners, including The Institute of Cancer Research in London and the Clínica Universidad de Navarra. Two thirds of the funds will be received directly by Theolytics to advance the phase 2a expansion trial, which focuses on high-grade serous ovarian or endometrioid cancer.
Margaret Duffy, CSO and Co-founder of Theolytics, said: “The Horizon Europe award validates both the scientific rationale behind our THEO-260 programme and the huge potential of its novel oncolytic and ‘CAF-lytic’ mechanism to address a significant unmet need in stroma-rich solid cancers.”
She further explained: “By integrating advanced translational analyses into our clinical trial design, we will clinically demonstrate the differentiated mechanism of action of THEO-260 and provide key data to advance this programme and deliver true impact for cancer patients.”
The OCTOPOD-IV trial is a first-in-human study designed to assess safety and preliminary efficacy while determining the recommended phase 2 dose.
Prof Alan Melcher, Professor of Translational Immunotherapy at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: “The differentiated mechanism of action – targeting the stroma and inducing immune activity in the suppressed tumour microenvironment (TME) – of this oncolytic immunotherapy THEO-260 offers the potential to provide an important new treatment option for patients with advanced solid tumours.”
Dr Antonio González, Director of the Department of Medical Oncology and Cancer Center at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra, added: “There remains a serious lack of effective treatment options for these women, and so we are hopeful that THEO-260 may bring an advance in therapy that will improve and extend the lives of our patients.”
