Coming from first discoveries
In the early 1990s, it became evident that targeting a tumor through its blood vessels might be more effective than attacking the tumor cells directly, since tumor cells can mutate and evade therapy. This insight inspired Arjan Griffioen to establish a research laboratory focused on this approach. Over the past twenty years, his team has discovered a series of proteins that are specifically expressed in the blood vessels of tumors and not elsewhere in the body. This breakthrough offers a promising new opportunity for cancer therapy.
Getting the innovative treatment into the clinic
In this case, bringing the invention to the clinic requires both knowledge protection and substantial funding. The patent was managed by IXA and filed by Amsterdam UMC. A startup called CimCure, was established and successfully raised the necessary funds and is now able to move forward with its first clinical study in patients with bladder cancer (in partnership with Intravacc). Arjan Griffoen explains:
Every step of this journey—from vision to execution—has relied on the team's dedication, as well as essential funding and investment. Watch the video to hear the full story by Arjan Griffioen and Else Huijbers!