MicThera announces seed investment from Indaco Venture Partners

The spin-off of the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR) affiliated to USI is developing microbial therapeutic solutions for prostate cancer

The startup idea derives from research on the influence of microbiota on the effectiveness of androgen deprivation, one of the most widely used therapies to treat prostate cancer, conducted by Prof. Andrea Alimonti, Dr. Nicolò Pernigoni, Dr. Elena Zagato and Prof. Arianna Calcinotto at IOR in Bellinzona, which resulted in a patent application submitted with the support of USI Transfer, the technology transfer office. Some members of the the project team then decided to take a step forward and transform promising scientific results and related intellectual property into a business venture executing a licence agreement with IOR and becoming a spin-off. Subsequently, MicThera (formerly Aliper Therapeutics) won the 2022 edition of Boldbrain Startup Challenge and was admitted into incubation at the USI Startup Centre.

The fresh funds received through the seed round led by Indaco Venture Partners will be used to advance MicThera’s research projects, expand its team of experts, and accelerate the identification of the therapeutic lead to bring forward in the preclinical development process. Dr. Nicolò Pernigoni, co-founder of MicThera commented:

“Our goal at MicThera is to translate cutting-edge microbial research into tangible oncology treatments that can significantly improve patient outcomes. We are committed to leveraging the power of beneficial microorganisms to pioneer new therapeutic approaches”.

For more information on MicThera, please visit https://www.linkedin.com/company/micthera/.