Elicera Therapeutics AB, which was co-founded by Professor Magnus Essand (University of Uppsala, Sweden) and Jamal El Mosleh, is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing cell and gene therapies for the treatment of cancer.

It is currently developing four drug candidates, two in the field of oncolytic viruses, and specifically the AdVince virus (also known as ELC-100).

Unlike traditional cancer therapies such as radiotherapy, surgery and chemotherapy, immunotherapy (or immuno-oncology) involves encouraging and stimulating the immune system to fight cancer. This works by activating tumour-killing T cells or by inhibiting the tumour’s own suppressive activity on the immune system.

Elicera is developing two different types of cancer immunotherapies: oncolytic viruses (including AdVince) and CAR-T cell therapies. Oncolytic viruses are designed to selectively infiltrate and kill tumour cells, while leaving normal cells intact. At the same time, they induce a powerful anti-tumour response in the T cells.

AdVince immunotherapy (ELC-100) is currently in a phase I/II clinical trial in NET patients, being carried out by Professor Magnus Essand’s scientific teams at the University of Uppsala.