In collaboration with CR2TI in Nantes (Center for Research in Transplantation and Translational Immunology), XENOTHERA presented the anti-cancer activity of XON11, its innovative treatment targeting pancreatic cancer, derived from its GH-pAbs technology platform (glyco-humanized polyclonal antibodies), at the Cancer Research Center of Marseille Congress, in Marseille in February 2026.
During an oral presentation, Ophélie Dauphoy, PhD student, presented the latest data on the activity of XON11, one of XENOTHERA’s anti-cancer antibodies, already selected as a drug candidate and currently progressing through preclinical development.
XENOTHERA is developing several therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of various cancers, both in metastatic solid tumors (XON7, currently in a Phase I/II clinical trial, NCT06154291) and in hematological malignancies (LIS22, in a Phase I/II clinical trial since 2024 in peripheral T-cell lymphomas – PTCL, NCT06495723).
In vitro, XON11 targets and destroys cancer cells from several subtypes of pancreatic cancer, including so-called cancer stem cells, which are known to play a key role in treatment resistance and tumor relapse. This activity relies on a dual mechanism of action: complement-dependent cytotoxicity and activation of apoptosis, a natural process of programmed cell death. In these models, XON11 demonstrates greater potency than gemcitabine, one of the standard chemotherapy treatments for pancreatic cancer.
In vivo, XON11’s anti-cancer effect was also shown to be superior to that of gemcitabine. These results support XON11 as a potential new therapeutic option for pancreatic cancer, one of the most aggressive cancers, for which prognosis has remained largely unchanged for more than 40 years.
“Our antibodies act in a completely different way from all existing anti-cancer strategies. We are very pleased with these data, which confirm the strong potential of XON11 in pancreatic cancer. In light of the progress achieved with our other candidates currently in clinical development, we believe that we will be able soon to advance XON11 toward patients, for whom it already represents a tangible hope, even though it still needs to be confirmed clinically. I am delighted that this work is the result of academic collaboration with the CR2TI teams at Nantes University Hospital. Partnerships between academic research and biotechnology are essential to accelerate innovation, particularly in the context of a PhD program, which fosters both a deeper understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms and the development of new therapeutic approaches.Congratulations to all the teams involved in this project.”— Dr. Odile Duvaux, President and Co-founder of XENOTHERA
About XENOTHERA:
Founded in 2014 by a team of renowned European scientists (Professors Soulillou, Bach, Cozzi, and Galli in France and Italy) and chaired by Odile Duvaux, MD, PhD, graduate of the École Normale Supérieure, XENOTHERA is a biotechnology company based in Nantes that develops new therapeutic approaches in several fields, including transplantation, oncology, and immunology, based on a unique glyco-humanized antibody (GH-pAb) technology. Its technological platform is based on dual expertise in genetics and immunology. The biotech company has a portfolio of products, three of which are currently in clinical trials. Its main programs are LIS1 in transplantation, XON7 in solid tumors, and LIS22 in oncohematology.
XENOTHERA is part of the scientific, economic, and medical ecosystem of the Pays de la Loire region (France). Since its creation, the company has raised €43 million, with its main financiers being the Pays de la Loire Region, BPI France, and the European EIC Fund, as well as private investors. XENOTHERA is a France 2030 winner.
More information : www.xenothera.com
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Media relation
Akkanto
Carmen Jérémie Borissova
+33 (0)6 09 91 33 03
carmen.jeremie@akkanto.fr / xenothera@akkanto.fr