Tikva Allocell Secures $8 Million to Advance Solid Tumor Therapy

The capital injection will support IND-enabling activities and a planned year-end IND submission for TAVST01, a therapy designed to target B7-H3 proteins found in lung, breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancers. Unlike conventional treatments that are often cleared by the patient's immune system, TAVST01 utilizes Epstein-Barr virus-specific T cells, which the body naturally sustains, to ensure greater durability and persistence.

Tikva’s technology, licensed from Baylor College of Medicine, employs an ALLO SerpinB9 EBVST platform. By integrating an optimized form of SerpinB9—a natural inhibitor of granzyme B—the therapy provides a protective 'armor' that allows donor cells to resist rejection while minimizing the risk of graft-versus-host disease. Dr. Ivan Horak, CEO of Tikva Allocell, noted that this approach addresses the primary barriers in solid-tumor treatment by requiring minimal gene editing while maintaining a robust anti-tumor response. The company plans to initiate Phase 1 trials in Singapore and the United States, targeting patients who currently face limited treatment options.