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Targeting the Tumor Ecosystem
to address cancer drug resistance
and improve patients' lives.

Cancers are dynamic ecosystems - it's time we
start treating them as such.

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Cancer complexity: it takes a village of cells to raise a tumor
THE CHALLENGE

Cancer is not a single
mutation problem. It's
an ecological problem

Most cancer drug therapies are developed to exploit a unique feature, such as a mutation or a specific protein interaction. In reality a tumor consists of a network of cells which compete for nutrients and co-evolve with its microenvironment. Precision oncology aims to match patients with drugs that target specific mutations in their tumors. With the exception of a few super responders, this approach only benefits ~1.5% of patients with relapsed and refractory solid tumors.

Cancer complexity: it takes a village of cells to raise a tumor
Adipocyte (fat cell)
Cancer complexity: it takes a village of cells to raise a tumor
Senescing normal cell
Cancer complexity: it takes a village of cells to raise a tumor
Immune cell
Cancer complexity: it takes a village of cells to raise a tumor
Cancer stem cell
Cancer complexity: it takes a village of cells to raise a tumor
Exhausted immune cell
Cancer complexity: it takes a village of cells to raise a tumor
Cancer Cell
Cancer complexity: it takes a village of cells to raise a tumor
Inflammatory cell
Cancer complexity: it takes a village of cells to raise a tumor
Cancer-associated fibroblasts
Our Approach

studying the interactions
between players in the
tumor ecosystem

Multiple factors ranging from stroma stiffness (mechanical
stress), inflammatory crosstalk (molecular signals), tumor
pH (biochemical status), and metabolic shifts in various
cell types in the tumor microenvironment collectively
trigger individual cancer cells to compete with each other
for resources, suppress immune activation, and promote
oncogenic evolution. Our research platform allows us to
find molecules that are able to impact a broad range of cells
to collapse tumor ecosystems.

Our Approach
Digitizing the tumor landscape

We integrate
biology, biophysics,
computational
chemistry & clinical
input to drive
new therapeutic innovation.

Our solution

Tumor ecosystem
disruptors

Our lead compounds disrupt the metabolic and
inflammatory triggers in both cancer and quasi-cancerous
cells in the microenvironment. By impacting multiple cell
types, we are enabling effective, lasting cancer treatment

PORTFOLIO

New modalites to treat
complex, chronic diseases

Derived from the intersections of cancer, aging, and
immunity, our therapeutic portfolio consists of programs
at various stages of preclinical development addressing
multiple age-related diseases

Cancer

Solid tumors

Aging

Neurodegeneration

Inflammation

Immune dysregulation

Founders & Advisors

Our team

With a team of experienced and passionately
dedicated scientists, clinicians and drug developers,
we believe we can succeed in transforming medicine
and improve the lives of patients and their families.

Ken Nakamura, MD, Ph.D

Ken Nakamura, MD, Ph.D

Advisor, UCSF

+ Bio
Olof Mollstedt

Olof Mollstedt

Co-founder & Co-CEO

Helen Chen, Ph.D.

Helen Chen, Ph.D.

Co-founder & Co-CEO

Arlene Sharpe, MD, Ph.D.

Arlene Sharpe, MD, Ph.D.

Collaborator, Harvard University

+ Bio
Marcia Haigis, Ph.D.

Marcia Haigis, Ph.D.

Collaborator, Harvard University

+ Bio
Jean Nakamura, MD, Ph.D.

Jean Nakamura, MD, Ph.D.

Advisor, UCSF

+ Bio
Ken Nakamura, MD, Ph.D

Ken Nakamura, MD, Ph.D

Advisor, UCSF

+ Bio
Olof Mollstedt

Olof Mollstedt

Co-founder & Co-CEO

Helen Chen, Ph.D.

Helen Chen, Ph.D.

Co-founder & Co-CEO

Arlene Sharpe, MD, Ph.D.

Arlene Sharpe, MD, Ph.D.

Collaborator, Harvard University

+ Bio
Marcia Haigis, Ph.D.

Marcia Haigis, Ph.D.

Collaborator, Harvard University

+ Bio
Jean Nakamura, MD, Ph.D.

Jean Nakamura, MD, Ph.D.

Advisor, UCSF

+ Bio
Ken Nakamura, MD, Ph.D

Ken Nakamura, MD, Ph.D

Advisor, UCSF

+ Bio
Olof Mollstedt

Olof Mollstedt

Co-founder & Co-CEO

Helen Chen, Ph.D.

Helen Chen, Ph.D.

Co-founder & Co-CEO

Arlene Sharpe, MD, Ph.D.

Arlene Sharpe, MD, Ph.D.

Collaborator, Harvard University

+ Bio
Marcia Haigis, Ph.D.

Marcia Haigis, Ph.D.

Collaborator, Harvard University

+ Bio
Jean Nakamura, MD, Ph.D.

Jean Nakamura, MD, Ph.D.

Advisor, UCSF

+ Bio
Alixia Team
Alixia Team

Olof Mollstedt

Co-founder & Co-CEO

Olof started his career as a research scientist at NASA Ames Supercomputing Division (NAS). Before co-founding Alixia, Olof served as Chief Manufacturing Officer of Ambryx, mainly focused on oral bioavailability of proteins, protein processing, drug formulation, and structural bioinformatics. Earlier experience includes working across the globe as part of Nestlé's Innovation Acceleration Team and improving bioprocessing with their Industrial Performance Team.

Olof received his B.S. and M.S. degree in Engineering Physics from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland.

Helen Chen, Ph.D.

Co-founder & Co-CEO

Helen brings more than 15 years of biotech experience. She was the Chief Operations Officer for Ambryx Biotechnology, where she managed Ambryx’s R&D strategy and external collaborations. Prior to joining Ambryx, Helen was a project analyst at Beachhead Consulting, a leading strategic advisement firm to companies specializing in drug discovery platforms.

An award-winning scientist and entrepreneur, Helen is part of the Stanford StartX hi-tech community, UCSF QB3, and was one of the top 10 women biotech entrepreneurs in the US selected by the Springboard BioHub in 2016. She is a frequent guest speaker at the University of Southern California and serves on the advisory boards of University of California, Riverside and California Baptist University. Helen received her B.S. in molecular biochemistry and biophysics from Yale University, and her Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from UCSD, School of Medicine.

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