€10m research launched to improve cancer immunotherapy

Cancer IO is a new top-level collaborative research and innovation project focused on cancer immunotherapy.

The project starts as a part of Business Finland’s Personalised Health Programme.

The project coordinated by the University of Helsinki integrates immuno-oncology (IO) activities at the Universities of Helsinki and Turku, three university hospitals and one central hospital, eight Finnish small or medium enterprises, several cancer patient organisations and the nine largest IO-investing pharmaceutical companies.

With a total funding of 10 million euros, Cancer IO is a significant IO-focused Nordic research and innovation programme, said the University of Helsinki in a press release.

While traditional chemotherapy drugs display more general toxicity acting not only on cancer cells but also on normal cells, IO treatments unlock the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. In essence, IO is a broad therapeutic master plan to outsmart cancer, now becoming available in the clinics with an unprecedented number of new investigational drugs being developed at present by established and emerging pharmaceutical companies in the world.

The coming age of IO will have a transformative impact on fundamental and clinical cancer research, healthcare systems, business and, most importantly, on the lives of cancer patients. Individual Finnish researchers, hospitals and small companies have already excelled in capturing and developing IO strategies to match the ongoing evolution in the field of cancer research and care, but so far these efforts have lacked synergies that a broader, coordinated national collaboration can offer.

Cancer IO will specifically boost the Finnish IO capabilities by supporting top-level research, business competitiveness, individualisation of care, and competence in capturing real-world evidence. In a broader picture, Cancer IO will drive creation of a Finnish IO ecosystem and national IO growth strategy, aiming to provide wealth and well-being through disruptive Finnish IO innovations and better care. Cancer IO is coordinated by Dr. Jeroen Pouwels and Research Director Juha Klefström.