Nuclide Therapeutics (NTx), a spin-out company from King’s College London, has completed a £5 million investment round to accelerate the development of a specialized class of radioactive drugs designed to combat aggressive therapy-resistant cancers. The funding, provided by German investor Marathon Beteiligungs AG, is tied to specific developmental milestones, ensuring strategic focus as the company transitions its cutting-edge technology toward clinical application.
The investment is set to propel the company’s proprietary platform of ALDH1A1-targeted radiotheranostics. These drugs represent a sophisticated, dual-action approach to oncology, designed to both precisely identify and subsequently eliminate cancer cells that have proven resilient to conventional treatments, offering a crucial new option for patients who have exhausted standard care protocols. This focus on therapy-resistant disease addresses one of the most significant challenges in modern cancer treatment.
The initial success of this platform has been demonstrated through exceptional preclinical data, particularly in challenging disease areas such as lung and ovarian cancers. With the new capital infusion, Nuclide Therapeutics will now move its lead drug candidates into first-in-human clinical trials. Additionally, the funding will support the expansion of its platform into new cancer indications, allowing the company to accelerate the development of other promising assets within its discovery pipeline.
Marathon Beteiligungs AG, the sole investor in this round, is a German investment firm with a long-standing history and expertise in the radiopharmaceuticals sector. The company targets promising teams and innovative ideas in this field, seeking out high-quality projects that align with its decades of experience in developing and supporting radioactive pharmaceuticals.
Nuclide Therapeutics originated from the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences at King’s College London, where the founding team conducted its foundational research at the Witney Lab. Before spinning out, the team was part of the university’s Spinout Accelerator Cohort, which provided them with specialized masterclasses, coaching, and a peer network to help maximize the translational impact of their scientific discoveries and prepare the company for this pivotal investment stage. The successful closing of the funding round marks a significant step in translating academic research into potentially life-saving clinical treatments.
KEY QUOTES:
The launch of Nuclide Therapeutics marks a bold step forward in our mission to give therapy-resistant cancer patients an effective treatment option. Closing our funding round with the support of Marathon Beteiligungs AG gives us not just capital, but a true partner who shares our vision. Together, we are building a company focused on scientific excellence, translational impact, and improving the lives of patients who need it most.
Muhammet Tanc PhD, Nuclide Therapeutics Co-founder and CEO
Nuclide Therapeutics reflects the growing entrepreneurial spirit we are cultivating at King’s, where bold ideas, deep science and translational ambition are supported every step of the way. This spin-out is a prime example of how King’s innovation ecosystem is empowering researchers to turn discoveries into real-world impact. Backed by Marathon Beteiligungs AG’s investment, the team is now positioned to enter clinical development and scale a novel radiotheranostic platform aimed at some of the most challenging cancers.
Professor Sebastien Ourselin FREng FMedSci, Assistant Principal (Innovation), King’s College London
We are very excited by the significant funding secured by our spin-out, Nuclide Therapeutics. This is a strong vote of confidence in King’s depth of scientific expertise in radiopharmaceuticals, and our integrated translational ecosystem. We are proud of the contribution King’s Innovation Catalyst (IP&L) has made towards the journey of this world class team, and we are looking forward to NTx progressing their lead candidates for untreatable tumours, with significant potential impact for the lives of cancer patients world-wide.
Dr Nicolas Huber, Interim Director of King’s Innovation Catalyst
