Skip to Content Facebook Feature Image

Antibody Designed by Spanish Biopharma Oncomatryx Shows That Attacking the Tumor Environment Also Kills Cancer Cells

Business

Antibody Designed by Spanish Biopharma Oncomatryx Shows That Attacking the Tumor Environment Also Kills Cancer Cells
Business

Business

Antibody Designed by Spanish Biopharma Oncomatryx Shows That Attacking the Tumor Environment Also Kills Cancer Cells

2026-10-09 20:07 Last Updated At:20:10

ZAMUDIO, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 9, 2026--

Oncomatryx, the Basque biopharmaceutical company pioneering the treatment of solid tumors through their microenvironment, has taken part, together with German research institutions, in a study showing in patient tumor tissue that destroying the cells that protect the tumor also kills cancer cells.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261009453341/en/

This was achieved by OMTX305, a bispecific antibody designed by the company that directs the patient’s own T cells against the fibroblasts surrounding the tumor. The work is published in Science Advances, a journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Key findings

The study was conducted on slices of freshly resected tumors from 15 patients with lung and ovarian cancer, cultured with the patients’ own immune cells. These tissue slices preserve the structure and cell types of the original tumor. The results show that the antibody:

Responses varied between patients. The authors note that clinical trials will need to determine which patient profiles respond most strongly, and point to the tumor’s immune profile and, in lung cancer, PD-L1 expression as potential indicators.

“We have seen in real patient tissue, with its own architecture and immune defenses, that attacking the fibroblasts that protect the tumor also kills the cancer cells around them. These are preclinical results that will need to be confirmed in patients, but they reinforce that the microenvironment is a real route to treating cancer,” said Myriam Fabre, Chief Scientific Officer of Oncomatryx.

“More than fifteen years ago we bet on attacking cancer through what surrounds it, when almost the entire industry was looking only at the tumor cell. This study shows once again that this path makes sense, and it is the same logic behind the drugs we develop, starting with OMTX705, which is already in clinical trials,” said Laureano Simón, founder and CEO of Oncomatryx.

International collaboration

Laureano Simón, Myriam Fabre and Isabel Egaña took part in the study on behalf of Oncomatryx. The study was led by Meng Dong of the Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology (Bosch Health Campus) and the University of Tübingen, with Julia Thiel as first author. The University of Stuttgart and Robert Bosch Hospital also collaborated, among other institutions.

The study is available at: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aee2124

---

About Oncomatryx

Oncomatryx is a Spanish biopharmaceutical company with a global outlook, headquartered in the Basque Country, that pioneered targeting metastatic solid tumors through their microenvironment rather than the tumor cell. The company has also built a platform designed to generate multiple candidates and advance them through clinical proof of concept for licensing to major pharmaceutical companies, spanning the full cycle of research, clinical development and in-house manufacturing that today defines industry leaders.

Oncomatryx is the only biotech company designated strategic by Spain’s Centre for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI) and in 2025 was awarded an EIC Accelerator grant from the European Union, one of five life sciences companies selected out of 950 applicants.

FAP CD3 ONCOMATRYX SCIENCE ADVANCES

FAP CD3 ONCOMATRYX SCIENCE ADVANCES

BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 9, 2026--

Gloo, a technology platform serving the faith and flourishing ecosystem, today announced the winners of its 2026 Gloo AI Hackathon, awarding $200,000 in cash prizes. A team from Austin Christian University won the $100,000 grand prize for Fosterly, an AI agent that connects young people aging out of Texas foster care to the services and people they need, to help ensure young people do not slip through the cracks.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261009619463/en/

Fosterly team leader Jack Malouff was unable to attend due to a serious medical emergency. His team rallied with the slogan “Fight Like Jack” to win, representing him and the project he led.

More than 1,000 builders on more than 115 teams took part under this year's theme, "Building Together: Humans, Agents and the Future of Flourishing." Teams worked through a 30-day virtual build that began Sept. 8, then gathered for a 48-hour in-person build at the Limelight Hotel in Boulder, Oct. 6-8. Participants of all experience levels were invited, including people without a technical background.

“At Gloo we believe AI should be shaped for good, reflecting the needs, values and aspirations of the faith and flourishing ecosystem," said Scott Beck, co-founder and CEO of Gloo. "The Hackathon turns that belief into action. What this year's teams demonstrated is that AI is being used to help people flourish and communities thrive. That was true of the Fosterly team, which built something for young people who are easy to overlook. We were honored to celebrate them and their team leader, Jack, who is in our thoughts and prayers."

Three teams won their challenge tracks, each receiving $20,000:

Gloo awarded the remaining $40,000 across a number of best-in categories. Full results are at gloo.com/hackathon.

A panel of judges scored submissions on concept, innovation, impact, use of AI and team presentation. The panel included Scott Beck, Gloo co-founder and CEO; Eric Célérier, CEO of HelloBible; Pat Gelsinger, executive chair and head of technology at Gloo; and Scott Mosely, vice president of software at RightNowMedia.

To learn more about the Hackathon and this year's winners, visit www.gloo.com/hackathon.

About Gloo

Gloo is a leading technology platform serving the faith and flourishing ecosystem. Gloo helps missional organizations amplify their impact by powering their technology and expanding their reach, so that people flourish and organizations thrive. The company's values-aligned AI platform modernizes systems, workflows and data, while its marketing and donor solutions expand reach, awareness and long-term giving for mission-based organizations.

A team from Austin Christian University wins the $100,000 grand prize at the 2026 Gloo AI Hackathon.

A team from Austin Christian University wins the $100,000 grand prize at the 2026 Gloo AI Hackathon.

Recommended Articles