Theolytics

Theolytics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that spun out of the University of Oxford in 2017. The company was co-founded by Charlotte Casebourne Stock and Margaret Duffy. Duffy, the Chief Scientific Officer, brought over a decade of international research experience in virology, including a PhD in Adenoviral Gene Therapy from the University of Glasgow. Casebourne, who served as CEO until mid-2024, had a background in translating life science technologies into commercial products and met the scientific founders in 2017, leading to the company's formation. Under her leadership, the company raised over $40 million and advanced to the clinical stage within seven years.

The firm's core business is the development of oncolytic viral therapies, which are viruses engineered to selectively target and destroy cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. Theolytics employs a phenotypic screening platform to discover and develop targeted candidates suitable for intravenous delivery. This approach involves using real tumor samples from patients to test and select the most effective viruses from a library of over 100 million variants, aiming for a more translationally relevant therapy compared to traditional lab models. This process is designed to create best-in-class products by using natural selection to identify viruses that thrive in patient-derived tumor cells, which are then enhanced through gene editing techniques like CRISPR.

Theolytics' business model is centered on advancing its pipeline of therapeutic candidates through clinical trials, with the ultimate goal of commercializing these novel cancer treatments. The company has secured significant funding from a syndicate of international life sciences investors, including M Ventures, Taiho Ventures, Epidarex Capital, Oxford Science Enterprises, and Sound Bioventures. Its lead product candidate, THEO-260, is a next-generation oncolytic adenovirus being developed for ovarian cancer. A key feature of THEO-260 is its ability to target not only cancer cells but also cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which are stromal cells that protect the tumor and contribute to treatment resistance. By destroying these fibroblasts, the therapy aims to break down the tumor's defenses. Theolytics has initiated a Phase I/IIa clinical trial for THEO-260 in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

Keywords: oncolytic virus therapy, cancer treatment, biotechnology, adenoviral gene therapy, phenotypic screening, clinical-stage, intravenous delivery, ovarian cancer, stromal-rich tumors, cancer-associated fibroblasts, THEO-260, Oxford spinout, venture capital-backed, drug discovery, immunotherapy, tumor microenvironment, targeted therapy, life sciences, preclinical development, colorectal cancer