Lokon Pharma AB
Lokon Pharma AB is a pre-revenue, Uppsala-based Swedish clinical-stage biotech developing the LOAd oncolytic adenovirus platform (lead asset LOAd703) for solid tumors including pancreatic, ovarian, colorectal, biliary, and melanoma cancers, delivered via clinical trials and partnered with Roche and BeiGene.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersUppsala, Sweden
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Lokon Pharma AB does
Lokon Pharma AB is a privately held, clinical-stage Swedish biotechnology company headquartered in Uppsala and wholly owned by the venture capital firm nxt2b. The company develops the LOAd (Lokon Oncolytic Adenovirus) platform, a family of tumor microenvironment (TME) gene engineering vectors built on adenovirus serotype 5/35 that encode immunostimulatory transgenes designed to convert immunosuppressive tumor stroma into an immune-activated state. The lead asset LOAd703 is a double-armed virus encoding TMZ-CD40L and 4-1BBL, making Lokon the first company to test more than one immunostimulatory gene in humans via an oncolytic virus.
LOAd703 has been evaluated in three Phase I/II trials — LOKON001 (pancreatic cancer, US), LOKON002 (pancreatic, ovarian, biliary, and colorectal cancer, Sweden), and LOKON003 (malignant melanoma, Sweden and US) — with results published in Lancet Oncology (March 2024) and Nature Communications (February 2026). The asset carries FDA Orphan Drug Designation and EMA Orphan Drug Designation (both 2015) and received FDA Fast Track Designation in January 2025. The pipeline also includes LOAd732 (triple-armed, preclinical), LOAd713, and Ad825. The company has established clinical collaborations with Roche (since 2019, expanded 2020 into colorectal cancer), BeiGene (November 2024, tislelizumab combination), Affibody (January 2022), and City of Hope (May 2023).
Lokon operates as a pre-revenue company with no product sales; distribution of its investigational therapies occurs exclusively through clinical trial sites in Sweden and the US. The company is funded by parent nxt2b and has not disclosed external funding rounds or licensing economics. Its GTM motion centers on scientific engagement (AACR, ESMO, ASCO, CIMT presentations), peer-reviewed publication, and strategic pharma partnerships intended to support future commercialization. Headcount is reported at 1-10 employees.
Lokon Pharma AB firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lokon Pharma AB
- Legal name
- Lokon Pharma AB
- Website
- https://lokonpharma.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Lokon Pharma AB is a pre-revenue, Uppsala-based Swedish clinical-stage biotech developing the LOAd oncolytic adenovirus platform (lead asset LOAd703) for solid tumors including pancreatic, ovarian, colorectal, biliary, and melanoma cancers, delivered via clinical trials and partnered with Roche and BeiGene.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lokon Pharma AB industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Oncolytic Virus Immunotherapy
- NAICS
- Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412)
- SIC
- Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Gene Therapy CMC/Process Development Platforms (capsid engineering, producer cell lines, plasmids, upstream/downstream) (HLAAACAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Gene Therapy Vector Manufacturing & CDMO Services (HLAAACAJ), Antibody Discovery & Engineering Platforms (display tech, bispecifics, Fc engineering) (HLAAAIAB)
Keywords
Where Lokon Pharma AB is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Uppsala
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Lokon Pharma AB business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Biopharmaceutical Development: As a pre-revenue clinical-stage biotech company, Lokon Pharma does not currently generate product revenue. The company is wholly owned by nxt2b, a Swedish venture capital firm specializing in healthcare investments. Development is funded through VC investment and potential future licensing deals or acquisitions.
- Future Product Commercialization: Upon regulatory approval, the company would commercialize LOAd therapy products, likely through partnership with larger pharmaceutical companies for global distribution, or through direct commercialization in select markets.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Lokon Pharma AB product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lokon Pharma develops a proprietary family of tumor microenvironment (TME) gene engineering vectors called LOAd (Lightning Oncolytic Adenovirus), built on adenovirus serotype 5/35 backbones engineered to encode immunostimulatory transgenes. Its lead product LOAd703 is a double-armed oncolytic adenovirus carrying TMZ-CD40L and 4-1BBL, currently in Phase I/II clinical trials for pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer, biliary cancer, and melanoma. The company also develops pipeline variants LOAd732, LOAd713, and Ad825, and combines its vectors with chemotherapy and checkpoint inhibitors through partnerships with Roche, BeiGene, and Affibody.
Product overview
Lokon Pharma AB is a Swedish biotech company developing the LOAd (Lokon Oncolytic Adenovirus) technology platform, a family of tumor microenvironment (TME) gene engineering vectors based on oncolytic adenoviruses. The core product LOAd703 is a double-armed oncolytic virus encoding immunostimulatory genes TMZ-CD40L and 4-1BBL. The company is advancing multiple clinical trials (LOKON001, LOKON002, LOKON003) in pancreatic, ovarian, colorectal, biliary cancers and melanoma. The LOAd pipeline also includes LOAd732 (triple-armed), LOAd713, and Ad825 vectors at various development stages. These gene therapy products are administered via intratumoral injection and work by both direct tumor cell killing (oncolysis) and activation of anti-tumor immune responses.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LOAd: LOAd (Lightning Oncolytic Adenovirus) is a family of tumor microenvironment (TME) gene engineering vectors based on oncolytic adenoviruses. The LOAd family includes LOAd703 (clinical stage) and LOAd732 (preclinical), which encode different immunostimulatory genes for cancer treatment.
Products and services
- LOAd703 Double-armed oncolytic adenovirus (adenovirus serotype 5/35) encoding two immunostimulatory transgenes (TMZ-CD40L and 4-1BBL). Lead clinical-stage product administered via intratumoral injection; induces tumor stroma inflammation, activates dendritic cells and M1 macrophages, drives Th1 cytokine production, and expands NK cells and memory T cells. In Phase I/II trials for pancreatic, ovarian, colorectal, biliary cancer, and malignant melanoma. Has received FDA Fast Track Designation (2025) and EMA and FDA Orphan Drug Designations (2015).
- LOAd732 Triple-armed oncolytic adenovirus variant in the LOAd virus family; preclinical-stage candidate being evaluated for mechanisms-of-action and proof-of-concept as the next-generation evolution of the LOAd platform.
- LOAd713 Oncolytic adenovirus variant in the LOAd virus family; published data in the Journal of Immunology (2019) supporting its role within the broader LOAd platform.
- Ad825 Preclinical tumor microenvironment gene engineering vector in the LOAd virus family; presented by PhD student Anja Ritter at CIMT 2026 with research focused on soft-tissue sarcoma targeting and on CD40/4-1BB/PD-L1 immunostimulatory gene combinations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Phase I/II pancreatic cancer trial results published in Lancet Oncology (March 2024)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Lokon Pharma AB
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Lokon Pharma AB technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Lokon Pharma AB partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- BeiGenecoreCollaboration to combine Lokon's TME gene engineering product (LOAd703) with BeiGene's anti-PD-1 antibody tislelizumab in pancreatic cancer treatment.
- City of HopeminorCollaboration project using neural stem cells as cell delivery vehicles for Lokon's LOAd703. Presented at American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) conference in Los Angeles.
- AffibodyminorCollaboration initiated to develop novel cancer therapeutics combining Affibody's technology with Lokon's LOAd platform.
- RochecoreCollaboration expanded to evaluate LOAd703 immunostimulatory gene cancer therapy in combination with Tecentriq (atezolizumab) in colorectal cancer. Previously combined with atezolizumab in melanoma and pancreatic cancer. Roche collaboration began in 2019.
- Roche (initial)coreInitial collaboration to combine LOAd703 oncolytic virotherapy with checkpoint blockade in pancreatic cancer and melanoma. Led to expanded collaboration in 2020.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Lokon Pharma AB competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PsiOxus Therapeutics (Akamis Bio): Clinical-stage biotech developing oncolytic virus platform (enadenotucirev and NG-641) for solid tumors, with combination trials in checkpoint inhibitor settings. Direct peer in OV class, clinical stage, and combination focus.
- Vyriad: Clinical-stage biotech developing oncolytic virus therapies (Voyager-V1 and related vesicular stomatitis virus platforms) for solid tumors with combination trial strategies. Direct peer in OV technology and clinical-stage positioning.
- Candel Therapeutics: Clinical-stage biotech developing oncolytic viral immunotherapies (CAN-2409, CAN-3110) for solid tumors including pancreatic cancer and high-grade glioma. Direct peer in OV technology class with overlapping lead indication (pancreatic cancer).
- Replimune Group: Clinical-stage biotech developing a portfolio of oncolytic virus therapies (RP1, RP2, RP3) based on a proprietary engineered HSV-1 platform, with multiple combination trials including checkpoint inhibitors. Directly comparable to Lokon in technology class (oncolytic virotherapy), clinical stage, and combination strategy.
- Oncorus: Clinical-stage biotech developing oncolytic virus therapies (intratumoral and intravenous approaches) including ONCR-177 and an HSV platform. Direct peer in OV technology class and clinical-stage development for solid tumors.
- Targovax: Norwegian clinical-stage biotech developing oncolytic virus platform (ONCOS-102) in mesothelioma and other solid tumors, with checkpoint inhibitor combinations. Direct European peer in the OV class with similar clinical-stage positioning and combination strategy.
- Turnstone Biologics: Clinical-stage biotech developing oncolytic virus immunotherapies (TBio-4101 and TIDAL platform) for solid tumors. Direct peer in OV technology class with overlapping clinical-stage development for solid tumor indications.
- Genelux Corporation: Clinical-stage biotech developing oncolytic vaccinia virus platform (Olvi-Vec) for solid tumors including ovarian cancer. Direct peer in OV technology class with overlapping clinical-stage positioning in solid tumor oncology.
Emerging players
- Sorrento Therapeutics: Biotech company with a broader portfolio spanning cell therapies, antibodies, and oncolytic virus approaches. Less direct alignment than the pure-play OV peers, but overlapping in cancer immunotherapy development and combination strategies.
Broad incumbents
- Amgen (Imlygic / T-VEC): Major pharmaceutical company that markets Imlygic (talimogene laherparepvec), the first FDA-approved oncolytic virus therapy for melanoma. Represents the commercial validation and incumbent positioning in the OV class that Lokon is targeting, and the standard against which any new OV entrant will be benchmarked commercially.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lokon Pharma AB social profiles
Digital presenceLokon Pharma AB compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Lokon Pharma AB financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lokon Pharma AB leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Lokon Pharma AB funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lokon Pharma AB M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lokon Pharma AB
What does Lokon Pharma AB do?
Lokon Pharma develops a proprietary family of tumor microenvironment (TME) gene engineering vectors called LOAd (Lightning Oncolytic Adenovirus), built on adenovirus serotype 5/35 backbones engineered to encode immunostimulatory transgenes. Its lead product LOAd703 is a double-armed oncolytic adenovirus carrying TMZ-CD40L and 4-1BBL, currently in Phase I/II clinical trials for pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer, biliary cancer, and melanoma. The company also develops pipeline variants LOAd732, LOAd713, and Ad825, and combines its vectors with chemotherapy and checkpoint inhibitors through partnerships with Roche, BeiGene, and Affibody.
Is Lokon Pharma AB a public or private company?
Lokon Pharma AB is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Lokon Pharma AB founded?
Lokon Pharma AB was founded in 1999. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Lokon Pharma AB based?
Lokon Pharma AB is headquartered in Uppsala, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does Lokon Pharma AB make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Biopharmaceutical Development is the primary driver. The others are future Product Commercialization.
Who are Lokon Pharma AB's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PsiOxus Therapeutics (Akamis Bio), Vyriad, Candel Therapeutics, Replimune Group, Oncorus, Targovax, Turnstone Biologics and Genelux Corporation. Sorrento Therapeutics is listed as an emerging player. Amgen (Imlygic / T-VEC) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Lokon Pharma AB have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lokon Pharma AB.
What industry is Lokon Pharma AB in?
Lokon Pharma AB's product category is Oncolytic Virus Immunotherapy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAAACAN, Gene Therapy CMC/Process Development Platforms (capsid engineering, producer cell lines, plasmids, upstream/downstream), with a secondary code of HLAAACAJ, Gene Therapy Vector Manufacturing & CDMO Services. Its NAICS code is 325414 and its SIC code is 2834.