MicThera

What MicThera does

MicThera is a preclinical biotechnology company founded in 2023 that develops microbial-inspired therapeutics for drug-resistant cancers and infections. The company was spun out of the Institute of Oncology Research (IOR) in Bellinzona, Switzerland, to commercialize academic research on the role of gut microbiota in prostate cancer therapy resistance, and operates as a dual Italian–Swiss entity (MicThera SRL Società Benefit in Lodi, Italy; MicThera SAGL in Switzerland). It is led by scientific co-founders Prof. Andrea Alimonti (IOR Director, ETH Zurich Full Professor), Dr. Nicolò Pernigoni (CEO, former IOR postdoc), and Prof. Arianna Calcinotto (IOR Cancer Immunotherapy group leader), with Gonçalo Rebelo de Andrade (ex-Nanoform, Indaco Bio Fund partner) as Chairman and Vittorio Codeluppi as CFO.

The company's core technology is the proprietary MicPep platform, which combines microbial strain screening with multi-omics profiling and AI-powered analytics to identify bioactive molecules and translate them into fully engineered, recombinantly synthesized biologics optimized for efficacy, safety, and clinical development. MicThera currently runs two development programs: a lead Oncology Program developing first-in-class biologics that target resistance mechanisms in advanced prostate cancer (including tumors unresponsive to standard-of-care therapies), and a secondary Antimicrobial Program focused on novel anti-infectives against drug-resistant pathogens. The platform's "translational-by-design" framing emphasizes early human-relevance filtering of candidates.

MicThera is pre-revenue with no commercialized products, pricing models, or distribution channels. It has raised €1 million in seed funding from Indaco Bio Fund (Indaco Venture Partners) in May 2024 and won the Boldbrain Startup Challenge (2023) and Recordati Innovation Day (2024) for non-dilutive validation. The implied go-to-market is the standard pharma development pathway: preclinical advancement toward IND, then clinical trials and eventual licensing or partnership with larger pharmaceutical companies for late-stage development and commercialization. The customer base at present is effectively institutional capital and academic collaborators, not end-market payers.

Name

MicThera

Legal name

MicThera SRL Società Benefit | MicThera SAGL

Website

https://micthera.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MicThera is a preclinical biotech that engineers microbial-inspired biologics via its proprietary MicPep platform to overcome drug resistance in advanced prostate cancer and to discover novel anti-infectives against drug-resistant pathogens.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Microbial-Inspired Therapeutics

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

AI/ML-Enabled Biologic Discovery Platforms (computational design, in silico screening) (HLAAAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Synthetic Biology & Genetic Circuit Design Platforms (pathway engineering, chassis development) (HLAAAIAD), Protein Engineering & Directed Evolution Platforms (enzyme/therapeutic protein optimization) (HLAAAIAC), Nephrology & Urology Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAH), Microbiome Modulating Small Molecules & Antibiotic Alternatives (HLAAAFAG)

Keywords

• Microbial-inspired therapeutics
• Prostate cancer biologics
• Antimicrobial resistance drug discovery
• Microbiome drug discovery
• Engineered biologic development

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

MicThera operates a microbial-inspired drug discovery platform (MicPep) that translates bioactive molecules from beneficial microorganisms into engineered biologic drug candidates. The company runs two development programs: an Oncology Program developing breakthrough biologics that target resistance mechanisms in advanced prostate cancer, and an Antimicrobial Program developing novel anti-infective agents against drug-resistant pathogens.

Product overview

MicThera is a biotechnology company pioneering microbial-inspired drug discovery with two high-value development programs (Oncology Program and Antimicrobial Program) supported by the proprietary MicPep Platform. The company identifies and harnesses bioactive molecules from beneficial microorganisms to develop first-in-class biologics targeting complex and drug-resistant conditions. The Oncology Program focuses on prostate cancer resistance mechanisms, while the Antimicrobial Program targets drug-resistant infections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Oncology Program Development program focused on creating breakthrough biologics that target resistance mechanisms in advanced prostate cancer, including tumors unresponsive to current standard-of-care therapies. Targeted at pharmaceutical partners and ultimately at advanced prostate cancer patients with drug-resistant disease.
• Antimicrobial Program Development program focused on discovering novel anti-infective agents to combat antimicrobial resistance, one of the most urgent global health threats. Targeted at pharmaceutical partners addressing drug-resistant pathogens.
• MicPep Platform Proprietary microbial-inspired drug discovery platform that combines microbial screening, multi-omics analyses, AI-powered analytics, and data-driven prioritization to translate microbial bioactives into clinically relevant engineered biologic drug candidates. Serves as the underlying discovery engine for MicThera's therapeutic programs and underpins partnerships with pharmaceutical collaborators.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Institute of Oncology Research (IOR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicThera collaborates with the Institute of Oncology Research in Bellinzona, Switzerland, focusing on the role of gut microbiota in cancer treatment resistance. The company was born from academic research on the role of bacteria in prostate cancer conducted at this institute.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Synlogic: Synlogic develops synthetic biology-based engineered microbial therapeutics, treating metabolic and immunologic diseases with programmable living microbes. Closely comparable to MicThera for combining microbiome biology with biologic drug discovery, though Synlogic's core modality is living engineered organisms rather than engineered biologics from microbial bioactives.
• Eligo Biosciences: Eligo Biosciences develops engineered microbiome-based therapeutics, including bacteriophage-based precision antimicrobials and engineered payloads. Comparable to MicThera in deploying microbiome biology for therapeutic discovery in oncology and infectious disease, with a similar dual-modality technology platform.
• Vedanta Biosciences: Vedanta Biosciences develops microbiome-derived immunotherapies and oral biotherapeutics, including cancer immunotherapy programs and immuno-oncology combinations. Comparable platform approach to MicThera in translating defined microbial consortia and metabolites into clinical-stage immunologic drug candidates.
• Assembly Biosciences: Assembly Biosciences develops oral live biotherapeutics for hepatitis B and other microbiome-related diseases, plus small-molecule antivirals. Comparable to MicThera in leveraging microbial biology for clinical-stage therapeutics in chronic infectious disease, particularly the Antimicrobial Program overlap.
• Siolta Therapeutics: Siolta Therapeutics develops microbiome-based therapeutics for chronic inflammatory diseases, leveraging microbiome discoveries for clinical-stage drug development. Comparable to MicThera in applying microbiome biology to develop targeted therapeutics for conditions underserved by existing therapies.

Broad incumbents

• Astellas Pharma: Astellas Pharma is a global pharmaceutical company with a major oncology franchise including Xtandi (enzalutamide) for advanced prostate cancer. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing against MicThera's lead indication in prostate cancer with established standard-of-care therapies that set the clinical efficacy bar.
• Bayer: Bayer is a global pharmaceutical company with Nubeqa (darolutamide) for non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, plus broader oncology and anti-infectives franchises. Comparable as broad incumbent overlapping both MicThera's prostate cancer lead indication and antimicrobial space.
• Johnson & Johnson: Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) develops Erleada (apalutamide) for prostate cancer and is a major player in oncology and infectious disease. Comparable as broad incumbent with an extensive prostate cancer franchise overlapping MicThera's lead indication and broad anti-infective capabilities for the AMR program adjacency.

Emerging players

• Insitro: Insitro combines machine learning with biology for drug discovery, building proprietary disease models to identify novel therapeutic targets. Comparable to MicThera in integrating AI/ML into biologics discovery, though Insitro applies its platform across neuroscience, metabolic, and rare diseases rather than microbial bioactives.
• Recursion Pharmaceuticals: Recursion combines high-throughput biology with AI/ML to discover novel therapeutics across oncology and rare diseases. Comparable to MicThera in leveraging AI-driven biology for early-stage drug discovery, though Recursion centers on phenotypic screening and image-based data rather than microbial bioactives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/micthera

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 MicThera