SunRock Biopharma Targets Resistant Cancers with Next-Gen Antibody Therapies

From Santiago de Compostela, a group of nine people is working to design highly innovative drugs to combat some of the most resistant cancers of the pancreas, ovaries, lungs, and various types of leukemia , as well as immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs). This is the focus of SunRock Biopharma, the company founded in 2015 by Laureano Simón, PhD in Chemical Sciences.

The goal of SunRock Biopharma is to bring these next-generation therapeutic treatments to the initial clinical phases and, from there, license their molecules to large pharmaceutical companies , which are responsible for completing clinical development and subsequent commercialization.

The idea began to take shape in 2013, following the sale of Progénika—a molecular diagnostics company —to the multinational Grifols. Following that transaction, Simón decided to focus all his experience and resources on cancer therapy.

“We saw an opportunity in the development of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), a sector with enormous potential but high technological and economic barriers,” explained SunRock’s general manager, Juan Buela. Traditional cancer treatments attack both tumor and healthy cells. This poison causes significant toxicities, and in some cases, patients do not respond well to therapies. This is when the possibility of turning to an antibody, such as those developed by SunRock, arises.

These drugs act as a kind of “magic bullet” on very specific therapeutic targets. In the case of mAbs, these antibodies are designed to bind to molecules found on the surface of tumor cells , blocking their function and allowing the immune system to destroy them. ADCs, on the other hand, combine an antibody that transports the drug directly to malignant cells, acting “like a guided missile” against them.

Getting to this point hasn’t been easy. Innovation moves at such a speed that a genetic sequencer that’s now cutting-edge can become completely outdated in just two years. “We had to demonstrate the solidity of our technology, our knowledge, and the solvency of our business model,” Buela recalls. After many years of work “and a lot of good science,” the first industrial agreements arrived, which gave the SME prestige and solidity.

SunRock Biopharma: A business with international pharmaceutical companies

SunRock Biopharma is currently owned by Helenes Ventures, a fund owned 50/50 by Permedika – the business angel of CEO and founder Laureano Simón – and by the European Investment Bank (EIB), as well as by Xes Galicia – the venture capital fund manager – through its Galicia Innova Tech Fund (FICC). So far, SunRock has not raised any additional financing rounds.

After a period without a single euro in revenue, the firm forecasts revenue of €3.5 million this year. In 2023, licensing agreements with two partners, Debiopharm in Switzerland and Ellipses Pharma in the United Kingdom, resulted in another €3 million in revenue. SunRock’s business is entirely international, with potential customers located in Europe, the United States, and Asia.

To carry out its project, SunRock uses an open innovation model , a type of management practically unknown in Spain, based on a very simple idea: not all valuable knowledge and technology resides within the walls of a company. “Rather than developing everything internally, we seek active collaboration with universities, research centers, and technology companies that provide capabilities, platforms, or know-how that complement our own,” the executive notes.

These alliances allow for accelerated drug launches and access to the world’s best experts, without requiring them to be hired, thus eliminating the impact on fixed costs. This is an effective way to transform knowledge into concrete and complex therapeutic solutions.

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(Featured image by National Institute of Allergy and Infectios Diseases via Unsplash)

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First published in Cincodias. A third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

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