Our Mission
Asgard Therapeutic’s mission is to pioneer direct cell reprogramming for cancer immunotherapy.
Our current focus is to develop scalable reprogramming technologies enabling the direct in vivo conversion of cancer cells into professional antigen-presenting dendritic cells, reinstating cancer immunity.
Our Story
In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was fought between the Greeks and Trojans. After 10 years of conflict, the Greeks implemented a strategy based on a hollow wooden horse, the Trojan horse, to enter Troy and win the war from within. According to Norse myths, while the city of Troy was completely devastated, thousands of Trojans left after the war and moved north across Europe. When they arrived to the Baltic Sea in Scandinavia, they built Asgard, a fortified city resembling Troy and described as “Troy in the north”, the city of Gods.
In 2015, at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, Asgard’s scientific founders started working on a direct cell reprogramming approach to set in motion immune responses based on the unique properties of Dendritic Cells. While reprogramming approaches had been mainly restricted to regenerative medicine, this conceptual shift opens exciting opportunities to merge the fields of cell reprogramming and cancer immunotherapy.
In 2017, the same team of scientists, just like the Trojans, crossed Europe and moved to Lund University in Sweden where they established Asgard Therapeutics AB with support from LU Holding AB to explore and develop the lead program AT-108 based on the Trojan Horse concept (TrojanDC) and its applications in cancer immunotherapy.
Restoring Tumor Immunogenicity with DC Reprogramming in Science Immunology
Publication demonstrating reprogramming of over 60 mouse and human tumor cells across a broad spectrum of tumor types into functional antigen-presenting cells.
Women in Tech EU Grant
Asgard Therapeutics has been awarded with a European Innovation Council WomenTechEU grant among 467 companies.
Human iDCs in Science Immunology
Publication describing efficient dendritic cell direct reprogramming in human cells and giving mechanistic insight in the cooperative action of the reprogramming factors.
Lab at Smile Incubator
Asgard Therapeutics takes the next step as a member of SmiLe Incubator and establishes its own laboratory in Sweden’s largest incubator in life sciences.
EUR 6M in Seed Investment
Asgard Therapeutics raises EUR 6M to exploit direct in vivo reprogramming in a Seed round co-led by Novo Holdings, Boehringher Ingelheim Venture Fund and Industrifonden.
Horizon 2020 EUREKA EUROSTARS
Asgard Therapeutics’ project awarded EUR 2M by EUREKA Eurostars as a next step after the H2020 SME instrument phase 1.
SWElife Innovation Grant
Asgard Therapeutics awarded with Sweden’s SWElife Innovation Grant, a strategic innovation program funded by the Swedish Government.
VINNOVA Innovativa Startups
Asgard Therapeutics awarded Innovativa Startups Step 1 and Step 2 from Vinnova, Sweden’s innovation agency.
BII Pre-seed Grant
Filipe Pereira’s lab awarded with a Bio Innovation Institute (BII) Pre-Seed grant as a follow-up to the Novo Nordisk Fonden Exploratory Pre-Seed Grant.
Asgard Therapeutics AB
Incorporation of Asgard Therapeutics AB with support from LU Holding AB.
Induced DCs (iDCs) in Science Immunology
Publication identifying combination of factors able to induce dendritic cell direct reprogramming in mouse cells.
Our investors
Novo Holdings A/S
Novo Holdings A/S is a private limited liability company wholly owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Novo Holdings is recognized as a leading international life science investor, with a focus on creating long-term value.
Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund
The Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund GmbH (BIVF) invests in groundbreaking therapeutic-focused biotechnology companies. BIVF is searching for significant enhancements in patient care through pioneering science and its clinical translation by building long-term relationships with scientists and entrepreneurs.
Industrifonden
Industrifonden is a Nordic venture capital investor based in Stockholm that invests in breakthrough technologies and science-based innovation – the Industry of Tomorrow. Industrifonden areas of expertise include Life Sciences, Deep Tech and Transformative Tech.