OxSonics Therapeutics

What OxSonics Therapeutics does

OxSonics Therapeutics is a clinical-stage UK therapeutics company founded in 2013 to commercialise ultrasound-based drug delivery technology developed at the University of Oxford's Institute of Biomedical Engineering. The company's core offering is the SonoTran Platform, which combines proprietary sub-micron (400-500nm) particles carrying stabilised gas bubbles with a novel ultrasound device to create sustained inertial cavitation at tumour sites. This cavitation effect enhances the penetration and distribution of co-administered anti-cancer drugs into and throughout solid tumours without requiring reformulation of the partner drug. The platform is drug-agnostic and has demonstrated preclinical compatibility with small molecules, antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, and oncolytic viruses.

The company's business model is built around B2B enterprise partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotech companies, structured as platform licensing and strategic co-development programs, supplemented by direct sale of SonoTran Systems and Particles to oncology treatment centres. OxSonics manages the installed base of SonoTran Systems while partners commercialise their therapeutic agents in combination with the platform. The company has entered first-in-human clinical investigation with a Phase I/IIa study in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) using SonoTran combined with standard-of-care chemotherapy (cetuximab + FOLFIRI), conducted at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. Revenue is not yet disclosed; the company is pre-commercial and supported primarily by venture capital, grant funding, and preclinical/clinical-stage collaboration agreements with partners including ADC Therapeutics and Turnstone Biologics.

OxSonics is backed by institutional investors including Longwall Ventures, Oxford Technology and Innovations EIS Fund, MMK Capital, Perivoli Innovations, Wellcome Trust, and Innovate UK, with approximately £10.5m raised in its Series B2 round in July 2020. The company is led by CEO Jérôme Marzinski (appointed late 2022), with co-founder Professor Constantin Coussios continuing to serve on the Board, supported by a recently strengthened executive team including CBO Nicholas Adams and CMO Dr Marianna Lalla.

Name

OxSonics Therapeutics

Legal name

OxSonics Ltd

Website

https://oxsonics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OxSonics Therapeutics is a UK clinical-stage company developing the SonoTran ultrasound-based drug delivery platform, which uses acoustic cavitation to enhance penetration of oncology drugs into solid tumours. It licenses and co-develops the platform with pharmaceutical and biotech partners without requiring drug reformulation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Oncology Drug Delivery Technology

NAICS

Electromedical and Electrotherapeutic Apparatus Manufacturing (334510), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

Electromedical & Electrotherapeutic Apparatus (3845), Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus (3841)

akta.pro primary industry

Interventional Radiology & Image-Guided Therapy Systems (HLAHABAG)

Keywords

• Ultrasound drug delivery
• Oncology drug enhancement
• Acoustic cavitation technology
• Solid tumor treatment
• Cancer therapeutics platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Platform Licensing and Co-development: Revenue through strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotech companies to combine SonoTran with their oncology drugs. Partners focus on commercialization of therapeutic agents while OxSonics manages the installed base of SonoTran Systems.
2. SonoTran System and Particles: Sale of SonoTran Systems along with proprietary Particles for use in oncology ward settings. Company provides training and maintenance services.
3. Strategic Co-development Partnerships: Collaborative development programs with pharmaceutical partners creating new IP and optimal pricing/reimbursement frameworks for combined therapies.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

OxSonics Therapeutics develops and commercialises the SonoTran® Platform, an ultrasound-based drug delivery system consisting of SonoTran® Particles (sub-micron cavitation-inducing particles) and the SonoTran® System (a proprietary ultrasound device with real-time passive acoustic mapping). The platform is co-administered with unmodified oncology drugs at the tumour site to mechanically enhance penetration and distribution of anti-cancer agents into solid tumours without requiring drug reformulation. OxSonics sells and licences the platform directly to hospitals/oncology centres and through strategic co-development partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

Product overview

OxSonics Therapeutics offers the SonoTran® Platform, a unified drug delivery system consisting of two core components: SonoTran® Particles (proprietary sub-micron cavitation-inducing particles) and the SonoTran® System (a novel ultrasound device). The platform is designed to enhance the delivery of anti-cancer drugs into solid tumours without requiring drug reformulation. Particles are co-administered independently alongside oncology drugs and activated by the ultrasound System at the tumour site, creating a localised pumping effect that increases drug penetration throughout the tumour.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SonoTran: Proprietary ultrasound-based drug delivery platform technology for enhanced delivery of oncology drugs into solid tumours.

Products and services

• SonoTran® Platform Ultrasound-based drug delivery platform that actively enhances the penetration and distribution of oncology drugs into solid tumours using proprietary sub-micron cavitation-inducing particles and a novel ultrasound system with real-time passive acoustic mapping. Designed for pharmaceutical and biotech partners and oncology centres treating patients with solid tumours, and drug-agnostic so it does not require reformulation of partner therapeutics.
• SonoTran® Particles Proprietary sub-micron particles (400-500nm) carrying pre-formed stabilised gas bubbles that create sustained inertial cavitation when exposed to ultrasound at tumour sites, enhancing drug transport into and throughout tumours. Co-administered independently alongside unmodified oncology drugs and intended for use with the SonoTran System at clinical sites.
• SonoTran® System Novel proprietary ultrasound device that images, treats and monitors target tissue regions using relatively low diagnostic-level ultrasound pressures focused to user-selectable target regions. Features real-time 'see-as-you-treat' passive acoustic mapping technology for treatment guidance, with training and service/maintenance provided to clinical sites.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 10,000-fold increase in oncolytic virus activity in preclinical models
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ADC TherapeuticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 October 2022Collaboration to assess SonoTran's ability to enhance efficacy of ADCT-601 (AXL-targeting antibody-drug conjugate). Preclinical data in human xenograft renal cancer model demonstrated 3.3-fold potency enhancement. Data presented at EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium 2022.
• Turnstone BiologicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 October 2022Collaboration to assess SonoTran's ability to improve delivery and efficacy of enhanced oncolytic vaccinia virus in murine bladder cancer model. Preclinical studies showed 78% survival rate with SonoTran combination vs 56% with virus alone.
• Large Pharma Company (Undisclosed)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 December 2020Evaluation agreement to explore potential use of SonoTran Platform with a novel anti-cancer therapeutic agent in clinical development. Collaboration focuses on combination with undisclosed clinical-stage therapeutic.
• University of OxfordcoreTechnology or IntegrationOxSonics was founded in 2013 to commercialize technology from the Biomedical Ultrasonics, Biotherapy and Biopharmaceuticals Laboratory (BUBBL) at Oxford's Institute of Biomedical Engineering. Ongoing academic collaboration including clinical trials with Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust.
• Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical trial site partner for Phase I/IIa SonoTran proof of concept study in metastatic colorectal cancer. Professor Rachel Kerr serves as coordinating investigator. Trust provides clinical infrastructure and patient access.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Nanobiotix: French clinical-stage nanomedicine company developing nanoparticle-based radioenhancers to amplify the effect of radiotherapy in solid tumors. Comparable as a platform technology addressing solid tumor treatment limitations, though the mechanism (nanoparticles + radiotherapy) differs from ultrasound.

Direct peers

• INSIGHTEC: Israel-based company commercializing focused ultrasound platforms (Exablate) for non-invasive treatment including oncology applications. Directly comparable in therapeutic ultrasound device development and clinical oncology deployment.
• Theraclion: French clinical/commercial company developing high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) echotherapy devices for oncology and other indications. Comparable therapeutic ultrasound medical device peer.
• Carthera: French clinical-stage company developing ultrasound-based medical devices to enhance drug delivery into the brain (SonoCloud) using microbubble cavitation. Closely comparable to OxSonics in using therapeutic ultrasound cavitation to overcome biological barriers for oncology drug delivery.
• EDAP TMS: French company developing and commercializing therapeutic ultrasound devices (Focal One, Ablatherm) for prostate cancer and other oncology indications. Comparable as a commercial-stage therapeutic ultrasound oncology device peer.
• HistoSonics: US clinical-stage company developing histotripsy platforms using focused ultrasound to mechanically destroy tumor tissue. Comparable as a therapeutic ultrasound oncology device company with a similar clinical-stage profile.
• Profound Medical: Canadian company commercializing TULSA-PRO, an MR-guided transurethral ultrasound therapy system for prostate disease. Comparable therapeutic ultrasound device targeting oncology with similar clinical/regulatory pathway.

Broad incumbents

• Lantheus Holdings: US radiopharmaceutical company with established diagnostic imaging agents used in oncology. Broad incumbent in oncology imaging/drug delivery with overlapping customer base (oncology centers, pharma partners) relevant to SonoTran adoption.
• GE HealthCare: Global medical imaging and ultrasound incumbent with extensive ultrasound platforms used in oncology settings. Relevant as both a potential acquirer/partner and as a competitor with broader ultrasound device portfolios and clinical channels.
• Philips Healthcare: Global imaging and ultrasound incumbent with therapeutic ultrasound and image-guided therapy products. Relevant broad incumbent given Gene Saragnese (ex-Philips Imaging CEO) on OxSonics board and overlap in image-guided therapy markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oxsonics-limited

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about OxSonics Therapeutics