Convert Pharmaceuticals

Convert Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a proprietary pipeline of hypoxia-activated prodrug (HAP) therapeutics to overcome treatment resistance in solid tumors. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Liège, Belgium, the company harnesses cutting-edge understanding of tumor microenvironment biology—specifically tumor hypoxia (oxygen deprivation)—to create drugs that remain inert in healthy tissue but activate selectively within hypoxic tumor regions. The lead program, CP-506, is a HAP designed to eradicate therapy-resistant cancer cells with improved safety and efficacy relative to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Convert targets large oncology markets including triple-negative breast cancer, head and neck cancer, and other solid tumors characterized by significant hypoxic regions. Customers include oncology-focused clinical trial sites, academic medical centers (Erasmus MC Rotterdam, etc.), and, at later stages, pharmaceutical partners and healthcare systems. The business model centers on drug development and intellectual property monetization through licensing, milestone payments, and potential royalty streams post-commercialization. The company operates as a virtual biotech firm, collaborating with world-leading researchers, contract research organizations (CROs), and clinical networks across Europe and internationally. Convert's competitive differentiation rests on three core pillars: (1) Platform Technology: The HAP platform exploits tumor hypoxia as a selective drug activation mechanism with applications across multiple cancer types and combination therapies. (2) Scientific Leadership: Founding team includes Prof. Dr. Philippe Lambin (Maastricht University; ERC advanced & ERC PoC laureate; pioneer in Radiomics and Clinical Decision Support Systems), alongside leading researchers from the University of Auckland and experienced clinical operations specialists. (3) Biomarker-Driven Development: Advanced companion diagnostics and radiomics-based biomarkers identify patients most likely to benefit from HAP therapy, enabling precision oncology approaches and streamlined regulatory pathways. The TUMAGNOSTIC Phase I-IIa trial (CP-506 monotherapy and combinations with carboplatin/immune checkpoint inhibitors) is actively enrolling patients across Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain, with favorable pharmacokinetic and safety profiles reported. Convert represents a deep-tech oncology startup bridging academic innovation and clinical translation, backed by institutional support from the Walloon Region and the European Innovation Council. Hypoxia-activated prodrugs, oncology, cancer therapeutics, drug development, tumor microenvironment, precision medicine, biomarkers, radiomics, clinical trials, immuno-oncology, treatment resistance, Belgium, HAP, CP-506