Vectiopep

Vectiopep is a biotechnology company operating in the cancer immunotherapy sector, founded in 2022 as a spin-off from the University of Tartu. The company was established by researchers Kaido Kurrikoff and Piret Arukuusk, who collectively possess over 15 years of experience in developing peptide-based drug carriers. Their journey began with extensive research at the university, which was catalyzed by the potential of mRNA technology, highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic, for cancer treatment applications.

The core of Vectiopep's business is a proprietary and patented drug delivery technology. This technology utilizes specially designed cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) that spontaneously wrap mRNA into nanoparticles, protecting them from degradation and enabling selective delivery into a patient's immune cells. This method aims to overcome a significant challenge faced by current mRNA delivery systems, like LNPs, which often deliver a majority of their payload to the liver instead of the intended immune tissues. By precisely delivering an mRNA message to antigen-presenting cells, the technology instructs the patient's own immune system to identify and eliminate cancer cells, including metastases, without the use of chemically synthesized toxins.

The company's business model is centered on out-licensing its platform technology to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. These partners would then use Vectiopep's delivery system as a critical component in the clinical formulation of their cancer immunotherapies. Vectiopep has validated its technology in preclinical models, demonstrating its efficacy in transporting mRNA to immune cells and inhibiting cancer growth more effectively than competing LNP technology. Following a pre-seed funding round of €450,000 in 2024, led by an investor syndicate and supported by UniTartu Ventures, the company's immediate goal is to advance to Phase I clinical trials to validate the technology's safety in humans. This step is a critical prerequisite for establishing collaborations with global pharmaceutical partners.

Keywords: cancer immunotherapy, mRNA delivery, peptide-based drug delivery, oncology, biotechnology, preclinical models, platform technology, out-licensing, cell-penetrating peptides, nucleic acid therapeutics, RNA delivery, spin-off, University of Tartu, cancer treatment, immune system activation, antigen-presenting cells, drug discovery, life sciences, venture capital-backed, clinical trials