The Dutch Cancer Society (KWF Kankerbestrijding) will invest more than €4.5 million in the first clinical study of Lumox’ light-activated precision therapy for patients with head and neck cancer. The study will take place at UMC Utrecht and marks the moment the therapy moves from the lab towards the clinic.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people worldwide are diagnosed with head and neck cancer. For many of them, the only curative option is still radical surgery: removing parts of the tongue, jaw, or throat, an operation that can permanently affect speech, swallowing, and appearance.

“We have made great progress, but there is still a need for treatments that are less burdensome while remaining highly effective,” says Prof. dr. Remco de Bree, head and neck surgeon at UMC Utrecht and lead investigator of the upcoming study.

A light-activated cancer therapy

Lumox is developing a new generation of precision medicines that combine a tumor-seeking nanobody, a small targeting protein derived from llamas, with a light-activatable drug. The nanobody delivers the medicine to the tumor, where it stays inactive until doctors switch it on with harmless red light. The drug works exactly where and when it is needed, killing cancer cells while leaving healthy tissue untouched.

The technology builds on more than ten years of research in the group of Dr. Sabrina Oliveira at Utrecht University, supported over the years by KWF and Alpe d’HuZes. With this new investment, KWF is backing the crucial next step: a Phase I/IIa study at UMC Utrecht that will assess the safety, feasibility, and optimal dosing of the therapy in patients with head and neck cancer.

The road ahead

“So, are we there yet? Not yet. But we are closer than ever,” the Lumox team says. The remaining steps on the roadmap, including safety studies and regulatory preparation, are defined and within reach. With KWF’s support, a major part of the route towards patients is now covered. Lumox, founded by Dr. Sebas Pronk (CEO) and Dr. Irati Beltrán Hernández (CSO), is now looking for investors and industry partners who want to help take the final steps and bring the technology to the patients who need it most.

About Lumox — Lumox is a Utrecht-based biotech company developing Rapid PhotoTherapy: a new generation of precision cancer medicines that combine a tumor-seeking nanobody with a light-activatable drug. The medicine remains inactive in the body until it is switched on with harmless light, exactly where and when it is needed, killing cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue. Lumox builds on more than a decade of research at Utrecht University and works closely with UMC Utrecht. More information: www.lumoxbiotech.com