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Cellis

Cellis

Geneva, Switzerland· Est.
cellis.eu
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Private Company

Funding information not available

Overview

Cellis is a private, pre-clinical stage biotech founded in 2017, developing a novel macrophage-based cell therapy platform for solid tumors. Its proprietary Macrophage Drug Conjugate (MDC) technology leverages a biological mechanism called TRAIN to enable targeted drug delivery into cancer cells, aiming to kill tumors and remodel the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. The company is preparing for first-in-human clinical trials targeted for Q1 2026 and has secured European Union co-financing alongside private funding.

Oncology

Technology Platform

Macrophage Drug Conjugate (MDC) platform, based on the TRAIN mechanism, which engineers therapeutic macrophages to deliver a wide range of active compounds directly into the cytoplasm of cancer cells and remodel the tumor microenvironment.

Opportunities

The MDC platform addresses the significant unmet need in treating solid tumors, a vast market poorly served by current cell therapies.
The technology's dual mechanism (direct kill and immune remodeling) and payload-agnostic design offer potential for a broad pipeline across multiple oncology indications.

Risk Factors

High scientific risk as the novel macrophage-based approach is unproven in humans.
The company faces significant funding needs to reach and through clinical trials.
Intense competition in the solid tumor cell therapy space from multiple technological approaches poses a market risk.

Competitive Landscape

Cellis competes in the evolving cell therapy for solid tumors space, facing competition from CAR-T, TIL, NK cell, and other myeloid cell therapy developers. Its differentiation lies in its specific macrophage engineering and the TRAIN-mediated payload delivery mechanism, a niche with relatively few advanced players.

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