January 27, 2022 -- Loki Therapeutics has secured seed financing, which was led by Formic Ventures. With this additional funding, Loki has raised a total of $2 million to date. Loki plans to use the proceeds from the funding to manufacture clinical-grade materials and complete regulatory work to enable the company's first-in-human clinical trial.
Loki's Awake platform offers a new approach to treating cancer and other diseases caused by immune system breakdown via activating and redirecting preexisting memory T cells created during vaccination to target and eliminate cancer cells as well as other immune-related diseases. Awake uses nonpathogenic microbes (attenuated Listeria monocytogenes) to deliver vaccine recall antigens to tumor microenvironments and into tumor cells.
Loki's lead program, Awake-LM-TT, capitalizes on the childhood vaccination for tetanus to generate a powerful, immediate immune response to solid tumors and metastases presenting the tetanus antigens, the firm said. Loki is currently advancing Awake-LM-TT as a potential treatment for metastatic pancreatic cancer and metastatic ovarian cancer. The company is also pursuing additional development programs based on other childhood vaccines, including polio (Awake-LM-PV) and mumps.
Formic Ventures is a diversified venture capital firm that makes early-stage investments in biotechnology startups focused on human longevity, as well as technology startups.
Loki Therapeutics is developing next-generation therapeutics that leverage vaccination recall antigens to enhance longevity and treat immune system-related diseases, including cancer.
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