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The complexity of cancer requires multiple strategies. The showcases presented in the Technology Outlook range from early detection and novel therapeutic approaches to molecular precision tools, demonstrating the innovative strength of Switzerland as a life sciences location. This article looks at the achievements of four Swiss companies - Abbmira Therapeutics, Proteomedix, Tolremo and Haya Therapeutics - and highlights new breakthroughs in cancer research.
Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer, accounting for 30 per cent of all cancer diagnoses. Early detection is usually based on the PSA value in the blood - but this test is inaccurate. Elevated values often lead to unnecessary biopsies, although in many cases there is no cancer at all. Sport, inflammation or even sexual intercourse can falsify the value.
Proteomedix from Schlieren has developed Proclarix®, a blood test that not only measures PSA, but also two other biomarkers: thrombospondin 1 and cathepsin D. These proteins indicate whether a certain signalling pathway in the cells is overactive, which is a typical characteristic of prostate cancer. An intelligent algorithm calculates an individual risk score from all the values.
The result: the test detects prostate cancer with very high accuracy and reduces unnecessary biopsies by 43 per cent. For men with a negative test, this means certainty and relief - because despite an elevated PSA value, there is no risk of cancer. Proclarix has been included in the guidelines of the European and American urological societies since 2023. This is an important step towards cost coverage by health insurance companies. CEO Ralph Schiess is delighted with his company's success: "The fact that a simple blood test reduces invasive biopsies and does not expose healthy men to unnecessary stress inspires me."
Cancer cells are survival artists. They reprogramme themselves, activate alternative signalling pathways and even use mechanisms from embryonic development to escape drugs. The result: 40 per cent of patients do not even respond to treatment, while the others often develop resistance after 6 to 12 months.
Tolremo from Basel is taking an unusual approach. While most researchers first identify a target protein and then search for suitable active substances, the team reversed the process. They tested 16,000 substances directly in tumour cells. The test works according to a simple principle: if the cells light up, the escape routes are blocked; if they do not light up, the survival pathways remain active.
The best of the 16,000 substances, TT125-802, was improved in 802 optimisation steps. The researchers then used a kind of "molecular fishing rod" to find out what the molecule docks onto inside the cancer cells. They fished out two almost identical proteins that represent central switching points in the evasion cascades. The active substance binds highly specifically only to these two proteins - which promises fewer side effects.
The first clinical trial with patients showed encouraging results. Tumour growth slowed down or the tumours even regressed. And without any serious side effects. Co-founder and CEO Stefanie Flückiger-Mangual is relieved: "Our fear of giving patients false hope was unfounded." Tolremo focuses on lung, prostate and colon cancer.
The figures are sobering: up to 70 per cent of patients develop resistance to PD1 inhibitors - a modern class of immunotherapies - or do not respond to them at all. The reason often lies in the tumour environment: specialised immune cells, so-called macrophages, exist in two forms. The "good" M1 form activates the immune system and fights tumours. The "bad" M2 form suppresses immune reactions and promotes tumour growth. If the M2 form dominates, the prognosis deteriorates drastically.
Through systematic literature research and artificial intelligence,Abbmira Therapeutics from Basel discovered a molecule from bacterial cell walls that can reverse this relationship. The molecule with the code C42 activates a receptor in the macrophages that leads to the formation of the M1 form. "The good guys take over," explains CEO Marc Creus. The tumour is made visible to the immune system.
The special feature is that Abbmira does not have its own laboratories, has had C42 synthesised and tested externally and has focussed on in silico development and working with a single drug candidate from the outset. In the mouse model for skin cancer, the combination of C42 with a PD1 inhibitor reduced tumour growth significantly more than the inhibitor alone. For COO Julia Biwer, the case was clear: "The incoming data was the starting signal for founding the company."
The approach - one candidate, one hit instead of thousands of tested molecules - saves costs and time. In addition, the team already understands the properties of C42 very well. However, there is still work to be done before clinical trials can be conducted: The molecule must be optimised for pharmaceutical use and tested for safety. There are many potential applications; for example, colon, ovarian and lung cancer as well as glioblastomas could benefit from C42. Founded in September 2024, the company utilises the Life Sciences Cluster Basel with its network of experienced specialists from the pharmaceutical industry.
For decades, research has focused on the two per cent of our genetic material that contains instructions for building proteins. And what happened to the remaining 98 per cent? These were regarded as "waste DNA" with no function. Today, however, we know that these regions produce so-called long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and are therefore molecular conductors. This is because lncRNAs control when, where and how strongly genes are transcribed. Their malfunctions are associated with cancer, heart failure and neurodegenerative diseases.
Haya Therapeutics from Lausanne systematically mapped this "dark genome". The resulting HAYAtlas combines the company's own research data and public information with machine learning. It shows in which tissues specific lncRNAs occur, what functions they have and which diseases they are associated with. "This atlas is the key component of our platform," explains CTO Daniel Blessing.
This approach is hopeful: as lncRNAs occur in a very tissue-specific manner, highly precise drugs can be developed with minimal side effects. The first drug candidate HTX-001 targets Wisper, an lncRNA that only occurs in the heart and is associated with cardiac fibrosis. A short piece of RNA specifically blocks Wisper - with promising results in cell culture and animal models.
But the approach also offers potential for cancer. Haya identified lncRNAs that are elevated in the connective tissue around tumours. If they are blocked, the fibrosis around the tumour cells is reduced. The tumour mass then decreases and becomes more accessible for therapies. The pharmaceutical industry is also convinced by the invention: in September 2024, Haya signed a contract with Eli Lilly and Company to develop treatments for obesity - worth up to one billion US dollars, including potential milestone payments and licence fees. This was followed in May 2025 by a further USD 65 million for clinical development.
These four showcases illustrate more than technological breakthroughs - they demonstrate the need for different, complementary strategies in the fight against cancer. Early detection, resistance management, immunomodulation and molecular precision tools must work hand in hand.
At the same time, characteristic strengths of the Swiss innovation ecosystem become visible: excellent basic research, successful translation into commercial applications, international partnerships and the ability to set standards in highly specialised niches. As Haya CEO Samir Ounzain puts it: "The goal is a future medicine that is programmable, precise, preventive and patient-centred." This vision of customised, predictive medicine unites all four approaches. The examples documented in the Technology Outlook show that Swiss innovation is already shaping the medicine of tomorrow.
