Developing small-molecule drugs to activate immune cells against cancer
Cancer immunotherapies can struggle against tumours with little immune-cell activity. Treatments that activate immunity throughout the body can also cause severe side effects, restricting treatment options and the doses patients can tolerate.
Adularia is developing small-molecule drugs that activate GPR84 on immune cells within tumours. Its preclinical approach aims to strengthen anti-cancer immune responses while limiting effects outside the tumour, offering a potential new cancer treatment.
What stands out about Adularia
In vivo proof of concept showed anti-tumour activity with a known agonist of the receptor underpinning Adularia's approach.
The University of Zurich lists Adularia, formerly Recolony, as a biotech spin-off founded in 2022.
Co-founder Michael Scharl is an MD and senior attending physician in gastroenterology at University Hospital Zurich.
Co-founder Philipp Busenhart holds a PhD in Cancer Biology from the University of Zurich and has postdoctoral research experience.
Joined the Wyss Zurich accelerator in April 2022 to support translation of its cancer immunotherapy research.
Won Venture Kick's third stage in February 2023 as Recolony, securing a CHF 150,000 programme award.
Received the USZ Startup Label after completing University Hospital Zurich's Health Innovation Hub incubation programme.
The founding project received CHF 150,000 in InnoBooster support for 2023–25, led by Ana Montalban-Arques at UZH’s Wyss Translational Center.
Won an o2h Kickstarter Award, gaining dedicated chemistry and drug-discovery support for its small-molecule cancer programme.
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