Why it’s important: Sightera is betting that increasingly powerful AI, as well as better biological data, can solve one of the biggest challenges in computational drug discovery: translating promising lab predictions into drugs that work for patients.
Zoom in: The round was backed by Entourage Ventures, Anacura, and Qbic Fund, bringing together investors with technology and life sciences expertise.
structure: Rather than training models primarily on public datasets or starting from predefined targets, Sightera uses tissue from patients with advanced, treatment-resistant diseases to generate unique drug response data.
Lead assets: SIGHT001 is an AI-designed molecular adhesive being developed for KRAS-mutant pancreatic, biliary, and colorectal cancers.
- Molecular adhesives can redirect protein-protein interactions and recruit the cell’s protein processing machinery to eliminate disease-causing targets. This modality is of increasing industry interest because it may provide a route to proteins that were previously considered difficult to treat.
- Sightera said SIGHT001 has produced promising in vivo results in pancreatic cancer and in vitro data in colorectal and biliary tract cancers. The company has not disclosed the program’s molecular targets or detailed research results.
- Sightera is also developing SIGHT002, another molecular adhesive for HER2-positive esophageal and gastric cancers, and SIGHT101, a small molecule fibrosis program currently in hit-to-lead development.
Backstory: Sightera is the result of more than 10 years of translational research at the University of Antwerp and Antwerp University Hospital. The company entered into licensing agreements with both institutions earlier this year and was officially established as a spin-off of the academic division.
What’s next: The €3 million round is aimed at guiding SIGHT001 towards candidate selection. Sightera already has significant funding in place to support the program’s eventual transition into clinical development.
