(MENAFN- ALA Group) • Financing round, led by founding investor Criteria Bio Ventures, will enable Adaptam to advance first-in-class antibody-based therapies, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and bispecific antibodies, for multiple oncology indications

• Adaptam intends to disrupt the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment to deliver more effective therapies for patients with solid tumors


San Sebastián and Barcelona, Spain, October 27, 2025 - Adaptam Therapeutics (‘Adaptam’), a biotech company pioneering cancer immunotherapies specifically targeting immunosuppressive myeloid cells, today announces the successful completion of a €3 million (~$3.5 million) pre-seed financing round led by Criteria Bio Ventures.

This financing round will enable Adaptam to further develop its programs and enter the preclinical phase in multiple oncology indications. As part of the round, Salvatore Cappadona, PhD, and Pablo Cironi, PhD, both from Criteria Bio Ventures, joined the board of directors.

Adaptam is developing first-in-class antibody-based therapeutic programs, including ADCs and bispecific antibodies, that target novel glyco-immune checkpoints, selectively expressed in immunosuppressive myeloid cells.

“Immunosuppressive myeloid cells within tumors present one of the toughest challenges in immunotherapy today. Our goal is to neutralize this obstacle by developing therapies that specifically target these cells, offering patients new hope where traditional approaches have failed,” said Asis Palazon, PhD, founder, CEO and CSO of Adaptam. “The support from Criteria Bio Ventures enables us to take a step forward in achieving our mission. We are now actively planning our next funding round to support IND-enabling studies.”

Immunotherapy has transformed cancer treatment, offering new solutions to patients worldwide. However, a significant number still fail to respond to these therapies or develop resistance over time. This lack of efficacy is primarily due to the immunosuppressive nature of the tumor microenvironment (TME), which hampers the immune system's ability to effectively target and destroy cancer cells. Among the main contributors to this immunosuppression are myeloid cells, particularly TAMs, which play a crucial role in inhibiting T-cell responses. This challenge is particularly pronounced in patients with solid tumors, where these myeloid cells create an environment that prevents immune cells from mounting an effective anti-tumoral response.

“We are thrilled to support Adaptam in its mission to transform cancer treatment by targeting the immunosuppressive cells within the TME. The scientific breakthroughs achieved by Prof. Asis Palazon and his team have laid the groundwork for potentially life-changing therapies,” said Pablo Cironi, PhD, chairman of the Adaptam board. “With this strong foundation, we believe Adaptam is well-positioned to deliver new, effective treatments for patients with solid tumors, addressing critical gaps in current immunotherapy options.”


“Adaptam’s differentiated approach at the intersection of myeloid-mediated immunosuppression and glycobiology represents a one-of-a-kind vision uniquely positioned to unlock the next frontier in cancer immunotherapy. We are proud to have partnered with Asis Palazon to build this exciting new venture and support its next phase of development. We are confident that Adaptam’s emerging pipeline offers a game-changing opportunity to transform cancer treatment for many patients,” said Salvatore Cappadona, PhD, board member of Adaptam.

Adaptam originated from research conducted by Prof. Asis Palazon and his team at CIC bioGUNE in Bilbao, Spain, with expert insights from Criteria Bio Ventures on the ideation, corporate strategy and operational setup of the company. Asis Palazon also received a Caixa Research Health grant from “la Caixa” Foundation in 2021. Some of the core structural and mechanistic discoveries of immune-modulating glycan-binding proteins and their interactions with immune cells were previously published in Nature Communications.

“CIC bioGUNE’s long-standing leadership in glycobiology provided the scientific foundation for Adaptam and we have supported the company from its earliest steps through to today’s preclinical maturation,” said Prof. Jesús Jiménez-Barbero, scientific director of CIC bioGUNE.

About CIC bioGUNE
The Centre for Cooperative Research in Biosciences (CIC bioGUNE), member of the Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), is a biomedical research organization conducting cutting-edge research at the interface between structural, molecular and cell biology. Located in the Bizkaia Technology Park (Derio, Bilbao, in Spain), CIC bioGUNE focuses on generating knowledge on the molecular bases of disease to advance the development of new diagnostic methods and advanced therapies.


About Criteria Bio Ventures
Criteria Bio Ventures is a leading life sciences venture fund investing in transformative companies that shape the future of healthcare. We partner with driven entrepreneurs and fellow investors to build innovative companies with the potential to transform patients’ lives. Criteria Bio Ventures invests in global biotech companies that provide disruptive therapeutic approaches centered on addressing unmet medical needs, with a primary focus on Europe.

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