PDAC
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
425KAdvanced cases dx'd / yr
4.6moMedian survival
3%5-year survival
80+
In-vitro tests
A dual-action oncolytic immunotherapy for the hardest-to-treat cancers — turning the tumor into a biofactory that dismantles its own defenses and unleashes the full immune army.
Pancreatic, triple-negative breast, and microsatellite-stable colorectal cancers don't respond to any approved immunotherapy — and survival has barely moved.
More efficient therapies are desperately needed.
Standard-of-care includes chemotherapy combinations, ADCs for TNBC, and anti-angiogenic / anti-EGFR drugs for MSS CRC. These remain insufficient, and immunotherapies have mostly shown no clinical benefit.
Immunosuppressive cells build a physical barrier around the tumor — protecting it, feeding it, and driving metastasis. The tumor microenvironment is where immunity hits a wall, and a mute button.
An oncolytic adenovirus that travels straight to the tumor, leaving healthy cells intact — then turns tumor cells into biofactories producing a chimeric, PD-L1-targeted peptide.
To date, no licensed immunotherapy effectively targets both immune suppression and immune stimulation.
The peptide's novelty is its Fc: engineered as an IgG / IgA chimera. It broadly activates multiple immune cell types to mount a robust anti-tumor response while simultaneously eliminating immunosuppressive cells inside the tumor.
Checkpoint inhibitors block one axis. AdCab's dual engager engages the whole effector repertoire — and acts where it matters, inside the tumor.
| AdCab | Checkpoint inhibitors | ADCs | Chemotherapy | mRNA vaccines | Oncolytic viruses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safety profile | High | High | Medium | Low | High | High |
| Activates multiple immune populations | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| Targets the tumor microenvironment | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
| Targets the tumor | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Usable across cancer types | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Examples | — | MSD, BMS | Gilead, AstraZeneca | Genentech, Roche, Eli Lilly | BioNTech | Lokon Pharma |
AdCab addresses multiple biological barriers simultaneously.
Across cancer models, AdCab depletes suppressor cells, activates the immune system, controls tumors better than checkpoints, and builds lasting memory.
Representative pre-clinical data, simplified for illustration. Source: Hamdan et al., JITC, 2021, and IVT Lab studies.
Pre-clinical proof of concept — finished.
Beyond a single asset, AdCab is a modular engine for generating novel compounds against new targets — rapidly, using the GAMER-Ad method.
AdCab sits at the intersection of a fast-growing indication-specific market and the broader immunotherapy wave.
Based on global incidence across PDAC, TNBC and MSS CRC and immunotherapy pricing of ~$50,000 per patient (6–10 treatments).
A capital-efficient path: advance the lead asset to early clinical proof of concept, partner after validation, and expand the platform in parallel.
Unique dual-targeting MoA, improved IO responses, and a platform built for combination therapies — exactly what acquirers reach for.
The plan pursues SME and PRIME status plus orphan drug designation — unlocking accelerated assessment, free protocol assistance, and 10 years of market exclusivity after approval.
ODD = orphan drug designation · PRIME = Priority Medicines · SME = small/medium enterprise · ITF = Innovation Task Force · NSA = national scientific advice · MAA = marketing authorization application.
National filings completed in the US and EU; office actions received and responded to in both regions. Additional filings are planned for comprehensive coverage.
| Region | Identifier | Priority date |
|---|---|---|
| Finland | FI20215115A | 2021-02-04 |
| PCT | WO2022167729A1 | — |
| United States | US2024294605A1 | — |
| European Union | EP4288080A1 | — |
Seven years building AdCab, alongside one of the world's most recognized oncolytic-virus scientists and a commercialization lead who has taken this exact journey to the clinic.
Globally recognized leader in oncolytic virotherapy — ranked top 0.1% worldwide (Expertscape). Founder of Valo Therapeutics; provides strategic guidance and an extensive network across academia, industry and investors.
Inventor of AdCab with first-principles command of its design and mechanism — led the platform from concept through validation at IVTLab. Author of 20+ publications (Nature Communications, ACS Nano).
10+ years from discovery to commercialization. Co-founder of Valo Therapeutics and former VP of Preclinical Development & IP; prior oncology roles at Sanofi and Gilead Sciences.
Matched 1:1 with non-dilutive government funding. A capital-efficient model — regional cost advantages, a lean experienced team, and tight collaboration with Prof. Cerullo's group — with several value inflection points and limited dilution.
If you can help us get there — capital, network, or partnership — reach out.
✉ Firas.hamdanhissaoui@helsinki.fi