Key Investor Signals
Secured €350,000 investment from UNIIQ in 2026
Bactheravax secured €350,000 from UNIIQ in February 2026 to advance multiple vaccine candidates through preclinical evaluation and select a lead.
Co-founder led a vaccine into Phase 1 testing
Co-founder and CSO Dinja Oosterhoff was Vice President R&D at Intravacc when its intranasal AVACC-10 vaccine completed a first-in-human Phase 1 study.
Co-founder negotiated >$100M in life-science licensing deals
Before Bactheravax, co-founder and CEO Ivo Ploemen conceptualized and negotiated major life-science licensing deals worth more than US$100 million.
Other Positive Signals
- Advisor Kees Melief co-founded ISA Pharmaceuticals; its ISA101b vaccine advanced through multiple Phase II trials.
- Works with Leiden University Medical Center and Amsterdam UMC on preclinical and translational development.
- Selected to pitch at the 2026 Dutch Life Sciences Conference Investors Forum.
Team
Ivo Ploemen, PhD, MBA
CEO and Co-founder
- Repeat vaccine founder and operator: co-leads Praetorian Bio, which has two differentiated mucosal-vaccine programs and licensed IP.
- 15+ years across life-science startups, CROs and CDMOs, focused on strategy, business development and partnering.
- Conceptualized and negotiated major life-science licensing deals worth more than US$100 million before founding his consultancy.
Dinja Oosterhoff, PhD
CSO and Co-founder
- Repeat biotech operator and CSO at Praetorian Bio, where she has worked on mucosal and bacterial vaccine programs.
- Former Vice President R&D at Intravacc as the intranasal AVACC-10 vaccine advanced through first-in-human Phase 1 testing.
- PhD research in oncology on adenovirus gene-therapy vectors for solid tumors, followed by work on immunotherapy and cancer vaccines.
Product
Bactheravax is developing preclinical therapeutic vaccines that induce immune responses against tumor-associated bacteria. Its lead program targets Fusobacterium nucleatum in colorectal cancer, aiming to reduce bacteria-linked immune suppression and improve sensitivity to existing treatments.
Lead target: F. nucleatum
The first program targets F. nucleatum, a bacterium enriched in colorectal tumors and associated in published studies with tumor progression, chemoresistance and poorer outcomes.
Immune-mediated bacterial targeting
The approach is to vaccinate against tumor-resident bacteria so the immune system can reduce their burden within the tumor microenvironment. The goal is to lessen local immune suppression and improve anti-tumor activity.
Preclinical vaccine development
Bactheravax is evaluating multiple vaccine candidates against tumor-associated bacteria, with the current program focused on selecting a lead candidate for further preclinical development.
Market Overview
Colorectal cancer is the world’s third most commonly diagnosed cancer and second leading cause of cancer death, with more than 2.0 million new cases in 2024. The global colorectal cancer therapeutics market was valued at $14.41 billion in 2025, reflecting a large established treatment category.
Immunotherapy is already part of colorectal cancer treatment, with the colorectal cancer immunotherapy market valued at $10.54 billion in 2025. Bactheravax targets F. nucleatum, which a 2025 meta-analysis found in 38.9% of colorectal cancer patients across 19 countries, creating a defined biological entry point for a complementary immune-based approach.
Around 2.0 million new colorectal cancer cases worldwide in 2024.
Around $14.41 billion in global colorectal cancer therapeutics market value in 2025.
Around $10.54 billion in global colorectal cancer immunotherapy market value in 2025.
Pooled prevalence across 4,321 colorectal cancer patients in studies from 19 countries.
Comparable Outcomes
Flexus Biosciences
Flexus developed small molecules designed to reverse tumor immune suppression. Its lead asset, F001287, had not entered clinical trials when the company was sold. Bristol-Myers Squibb acquired Flexus in 2015 for $800 million upfront and up to $450 million in development milestones, bringing the potential value to $1.25 billion.
BioVex
BioVex developed OncoVEX GM-CSF, an engineered herpes simplex virus designed to trigger an immune response against melanoma and head and neck cancer. Amgen acquired BioVex in March 2011 for up to $1 billion. It paid $425 million in cash at closing, with up to $575 million tied to milestones.
Interested in More Startups Like Bactheravax?
Get a curated pipeline of healthcare and life sciences startups aligned with your investment thesis.
Sources
This profile was built from public company materials, ecosystem sources, market references, and professional profiles.