At the fifth portfolio conference of the Institute for Biomedical Translation (IBT) Lower Saxony at the TRAFO Hub in Brunswick, the two projects were named winners after competing against five other teams from research institutes in Lower Saxony. The first phase of funding will focus on rapid scientific and market-oriented development with the aim of founding a start-up in the near future. After that, the focus will be on starting business operations and securing further external financing.
Citrapeutics aims to revolutionize cancer treatment and offer patients an alternative to conventional immunotherapies. The project team, led by PD Dr Frank Pessler, head of the Biomarkers for Infectious Diseases working group at TWINCORE – Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, is developing low-molecular inhibitors for a novel oral cancer immunotherapy. They plan to further optimize the currently most promising active ingredient, Citra01, and to generate additional ones. TWINCORE was jointly founded by HZI and MHH. In April 2025, Citrapeutics won the Startup Pitch & Partner Award in the Emerging Startup category at BioVaria in Munich.
RNA Healer is developing an RNA-based drug for patients with advanced chronic liver fibrosis. Under the project leadership of Prof. Dr Amar Deep Sharma, head of the RNA Therapeutics & Liver Regeneration working group at the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectiology and Endocrinology at MHH, the team is pursuing the goal of reducing devastating scarring and improving liver function in the long term.
Ascenion is a long-standing technology transfer partner of the HZI, MHH and TWINCORE.
Further information:
