Iksuda Therapeutics
Iksuda Therapeutics, based in Newcastle, designs antibody-drug conjugates, antibodies that release a cancer-killing drug only once inside the tumour. Its HER2-targeting medicine is in early human trials, with encouraging results in oesophageal cancer.
Overview
Iksuda Therapeutics develops antibody-drug conjugates built around tumour-selective release and activation of payloads, combining stable conjugation (its PermaLink platform) with prodrug payloads including its proprietary protein-alkylating ProAlk class. The lead asset IKS014 is a HER2-directed ADC in a phase 1 study in HER2-positive and HER2-low solid tumours; ESMO 2025 dose-escalation data showed anti-tumour activity across dose levels, and a preliminary analysis at the 2026 ASCO GI symposium reported an 80 percent clinical benefit rate in 10 previously treated patients with HER2-positive oesophageal cancer. IKS03 is a CD19-targeted ADC for B-cell malignancies, and IKS04, a CA242 (CanAg)-directed pyrrolobenzodiazepine ADC given with unconjugated antibody, received FDA IND clearance in July 2026 for phase 1 trials in gastrointestinal cancers. The company closed a USD 47 million financing in June 2021 co-led by Mirae Asset Capital and Celltrion.
Funding
All startupsInvestors not recorded; see the round sources.
| Round | Year | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series A · Described by the company as a USD 47 million (about GBP 34 million) financing round co-led by Mirae Asset Capital, Celltrion and Premier Partners; series letter not stated | 2021 | $47M | iksuda.com |
Amounts only where the cited source states them. Rounds without a public source are not listed.
Notes
top- Later financing (reported elsewhere in 2023) not found on the company news pages fetched. Founding year not sourced.
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