Prokarium

Prokarium is a UK-based biotech developing a novel class of off-the-shelf, programmable bacterial immunotherapies for cancer. Its foundational technology centers on a proprietary Salmonella ZH9 strain, engineered to be naturally tumor-targeting and oncolytic, serving as a delivery platform for therapeutic payloads. The company has a lead clinical-stage asset for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and is developing an oral 'IO Prime' agent to boost responses to other immunotherapies. Backed by experienced leadership and investors like Flerie Invest, Prokarium aims to address significant unmet needs in oncology with its synthetic biology-driven Living Cures platform.

Proprietary microbial immunotherapy platform using a genetically engineered Salmonella typhimurium strain (ZH9). The platform leverages bacteria's natural tumor-targeting and oncolytic abilities to overcome the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and deliver diverse therapeutic cargo (proteins, nucleic acids) via synthetic biology circuits.

In bladder cancer, Prokarium competes with new intravesical gene therapies, viral therapies, and next-generation immunotherapies aiming to replace or succeed BCG. In the broader IO space, IO Prime would compete with numerous other immune modulators and combination approaches seeking to overcome resistance to checkpoint inhibitors. Its bacterial vector approach is a key differentiator.