Coding Bio

Adoptive cell therapy is based on reprogramming of the patient's immune system using CARs to destroy cancer. Patient's own T-cells, modified with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), are able to recognise and eliminate cancer cells, resulting in cancer remission in those with no other treatment options. However, the success of CAR therapies is still limited to blood malignancies and further advances still need to be made to expand CAR application to treatment of solid tumours, which represent more than 90% of cancer patients.

A significant limitation is that the process of building a tumour-specific and functional CAR has proven to be time-consuming (1 to 2 years) technically-challenging and costly (>£2m). Subsequently, the receptors still need to undergo functional testing using in vitro and animal models, with high probability of failure. Additionally, some companies had to stop their clinical programs due to lack of CAR efficacy and clinical responses.

Coding.bio is building best-in-class CARs using an AI-first approach combined with their proprietary screening platform to rapidly develop and validate new CARs directed against both existing and novel antigen targets.

Start Codon led and were part of a wider syndicate of first investors into the company, alongside Global Founders Capital, Rocket Internet Capital Partners, BoxOne Ventures and Nadav Rosenberg.