Simon Skjøde Jensen, CEO hos MonTa Bioscience
MonTa Bioscience, a spin-out from DTU, is developing new cancer treatments designed to activate the body’s immune system. The company’s treatment originated as a research project at DTU. In 2019, MonTa Bioscience moved to DTU Science Park in Lyngby, and in 2021, the project entered clinical development in cancer patients.
The drug candidate developed by MonTa Bioscience is designed to trigger a stronger immune response within the tumour itself in a specific group of melanoma patients. Put simply, the treatment aims to help the immune system better identify and attack cancer cells.
“Our goal is to make cancer treatment more effective – particularly for patients who no longer benefit from existing immunotherapies,” says Simon Jensen, CEO of MonTa Bioscience.
The company has completed its Phase 1a clinical trial and is now conducting a Phase 1b study, testing the drug candidate in this specific patient group in Denmark and Spain.
The study focuses on patients who initially benefited from immunotherapy but have since developed resistance to currently approved standard immunotherapies. As a result, patient recruitment is currently one of the company’s main priorities.
The next six months will be crucial for MonTa Bioscience
In six months, MonTa Bioscience will have a much clearer picture of what the future holds.
The company has designed a proof-of-concept study targeting the patients most likely to benefit from the treatment. Over the next six months, MonTa Bioscience expects to learn whether the data from its Phase 1b trial support moving the drug candidate into Phase 2.
Moving forward, however, will require a significant new investment of EUR 20–40 million, and there are several potential routes for financing a Phase 2 trial. Another possible outcome is that the company could be acquired by a major pharmaceutical company within oncology.
“In six months, we’ll know what the data show and whether the drug has the potential we believe it does – and therefore whether we can move forward into Phase 2. It’s a very exciting time for us, and we’re currently seeing interest from several major pharmaceutical companies as well,” says Simon Jensen, CEO of MonTa Bioscience.
