Netris Pharma Secures €7.25 Million EU Grant to Advance Cancer Trials
Lyon, Thursday, 28 May 2026.
Today, May 28, 2026, Netris Pharma secured €7.25 million in non-dilutive EU funding, gaining a crucial financial runway to advance oncology trials amid tight private equity markets.
Strategic Capital for Clinical Advancement
On May 27, 2026, the privately held clinical-stage oncology company NETRIS Pharma, operating out of Lyon, France, and Geneva, Switzerland, announced the procurement of €7.25 million from the European Union’s Horizon Europe program [1]. This non-dilutive capital injection is earmarked to propel the company’s lead asset, NP137, into a Phase 2b randomized clinical trial [1]. NP137 is a pioneering monoclonal antibody engineered to target the netrin-1 and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) axis, making it the only clinical-stage anti-netrin-1 therapy currently in development [1].
Collaborative Framework and Clinical Proof
The upcoming Phase 2b multi-center trial will be an international effort, spanning multiple clinical sites across France and Spain [1]. The trial is sponsored by GORTEC, a highly experienced cooperative group led by Professor Jean Bourhis, and will be spearheaded by Principal Investigator Dr. Jérôme Fayette, a medical oncologist at the Centre Léon Bérard [1]. Additional strategic partnerships include the Spanish TTCC group, chaired by Dr. Ricard Mesia, and the Université Libre de Bruxelles, ensuring a robust, cross-border clinical infrastructure [1].
Broader Innovations in Oncology Delivery
While NETRIS Pharma advances its clinical-stage antibody therapies, the broader oncology sector is simultaneously witnessing significant preclinical breakthroughs in targeted drug delivery systems [GPT]. Highlighting this trend, a study published on May 25, 2026, in the journal Biological and Medical Applications of Materials and Interfaces detailed a novel approach to treating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) [2]. A research team, including scientists Brianna M. White and Surya K. Mallapragada, developed a tumor-guided, dual-targeting nanosystem known as mGP-i [2].
Preclinical Success and Future Implications
The synergistic mechanism of the mGP-i nanosystem represents a sophisticated method for dismantling tumor defenses [GPT]. The co-delivery of miR-345 effectively downregulates anti-apoptotic and drug-resistance pathways, thereby restoring the pancreatic tumor cells’ sensitivity to gemcitabine [2]. In vitro testing demonstrated that the formulation remains stable against RNase degradation and serum proteins for 24 hours [2]. Furthermore, it achieved a rapid release of gemcitabine over 48 hours, complemented by a prolonged, sustained release of miR-345 over the course of one week [2].