Cambridge-based BioTech company Mestag Therapeutics has been awarded a £1.5 million Transforming Cancer Therapeutics grant.
The money comes from Innovate UK’s Cancer Therapeutics program to accelerate the development of its MST-0300 antibody.
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is investing a total of £12m in innovation projects to advance next-generation immunotherapies for cancer.
MST-0300 is an antibody designed to induce tertiary lymphoid structures in solid tumours in a highly specific and localised fashion. The presence of TLS in tumours has recently emerged as being strongly correlated with improved outcomes for cancer patients across multiple tumour types.
TLS are believed to enable improved immune cell access to the tumour and drive local immune cell education, leading to a powerful orchestrated anti-tumor response.
Mestag data in hard-to-treat cancer models, recently presented at the 2024 American Association of Cancer Research conference, demonstrate potent anti-tumour effects.
“We are honoured to have been selected as a recipient for this highly competitive translational award,” said CEO Susan Hill. “The presence of TLS in tumours is emerging as a key driver of improved treatment outcomes in cancer patients, and our MST-0300 program, designed to induce the formation of TLS in tumours, holds important therapeutic promise.
“Leveraging the dynamic UK BioTech ecosystem, Innovate UK funding will enable us to advance MST-0300 rapidly to solid tumour patients who urgently need new treatment options.”
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