Adaptam Therapeutics Secures €3M to Redefine Cancer Immunotherapy by Targeting the Body’s Hidden Suppressors

Adaptam Therapeutics, a pioneering company in cancer immunotherapies specifically targeting the immunosuppressive myeloid tumor microenvironment, led by Asis Palazon, Pablo Cironi, Salvatore Cappadona, and José M. Mato, has secured a €3 million (~$3.5 million) pre-seed financing round led by Criteria Bio Ventures. As part of the round, Criteria Bio Ventures’ Salvatore Cappadona, PhD, and Pablo Cironi, PhD, join Adaptam’s board of directors.

The €3M funding will advance Adaptam’s first-in-class antibody programs, spanning ADCs and bispecifics, toward preclinical development across multiple cancer indications. The therapies target novel glyco-immune checkpoints found on immunosuppressive myeloid cells, aiming to unlock a new frontier in cancer immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, but many patients still fail to respond or eventually develop resistance. This limited efficacy stems from the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), which weakens the immune system’s ability to target cancer cells. Myeloid cells, especially tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), are key drivers of this suppression, blocking T-cell activity and creating barriers to effective immune responses, particularly in solid tumors.

Adaptam emerged from pioneering research led by Prof. Asis Palazon and his team at CIC bioGUNE in Bilbao, Spain, supported by Criteria Bio Ventures in shaping the company’s strategy, structure, and operations. Palazon was also awarded a Caixa Research Health grant from “la Caixa” Foundation in 2021. The foundational discoveries on immune-modulating glycan-binding proteins and their interactions with immune cells were previously featured in Nature Communications.