Pan Cancer T announces that Dr. Helen Tayton-Martin has joined its board as an independent director
Dr. Helen Tayton-Martin joins our board, bringing decades of leadership in TCR-T cell therapy and biotech growth.
Pan Cancer T Secures EUR 10 Million to Advance First-in-Human Trial of Novel TCR-T Cell Therapy for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
December 8, 2025
Rotterdam, the Netherlands – 8 December 2025 – Pan Cancer T B.V., a biotech company pioneering next-generation T cell therapies for solid tumours, today announced a EUR 10 million financing to advance its lead program, PCT1:CO-STIM, into a first-in-human clinical trial for women with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
The financing includes EUR 5 million from existing investors Van Herk Ventures, Thuja Capital, Erasmus MC O&O Holdings, and InnovationQuarter, in addition to a EUR 5 million Innovation Credit loan from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. This funding will enable the company to treat TNBC patients at leading cancer centres in the Netherlands.
“Our mission is to empower a patient’s own immune cells to tackle hard-to-treat cancers like TNBC”, said Rachel Abbott, Chief Executive Officer of Pan Cancer T. “This significant investment marks a pivotal moment as we transition from preclinical validation to treating patients with our first novel T-cell receptor (TCR) T cell therapy, PCT1:CO-STIM, following our planned regulatory filing with the EMA in 2026. We are deeply grateful to our investors and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) for their confidence in our approach.”
“Thuja Capital is dedicated to investing in the most innovative life sciences companies. Pan Cancer T’s TCR-T platform addresses hard-to-treat solid tumours, such as TNBC, that are the greatest challenge in oncology. Following our recent success in the cell and gene therapy field, with AstraZeneca’s acquisition of our portfolio company EsoBiotec, we are delighted to continue backing another pioneer in the C> space,” said Michel Briejer, Managing Partner at Thuja Capital and member of Pan Cancer T’s Supervisory Board.
The upcoming trial will assess safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of a therapeutic dose of PCT1:CO-STIM in TNBC patients. These patients have an urgent unmet medical need, with a 5-year survival rate following metastatic progression of approximately 12% and median overall survival of less than 6 months.
PCT1:CO-STIM is being developed as an autologous T cell therapy but also has the potential to be delivered in vivo at a later stage. It features a proprietary TCR highly specific for ROPN1, a novel tumour-restricted target expressed in over 90% of TNBC and melanoma cases. The therapy also incorporates a unique co-stimulatory technology designed to overcome immune resistance in solid tumours, aiming to deliver durable responses in patients with few treatment options.
About Pan Cancer T
Pan Cancer T is advancing next-generation TCR-T cell therapies for hard-to-treat solid tumours. Its approach combines two key innovations:
- Exclusive tumour targets robustly expressed across multiple solid cancers.
- Enhanced T cell durability through proprietary technologies.
The company’s R&D pipeline includes programs for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and cancers of the skin, colorectum, stomach, oesophagus, ovary and uterus.
Founded in 2020 as a spin-out from Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Pan Cancer T has raised approximately €21 million to date, including €2 million in grants and the €5 million Innovation Credit loan. Investors include Van Herk Ventures, Thuja Capital, Erasmus MC O&O Holdings, InnovationQuarter, and Swanbridge Capital.
For more information, visit www.pancancer-t.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
Media contacts
Pan Cancer T
Rachel Abbott, CEO
info@pancancer-t.com
Scius Communications
Katja Stout
+44 778 943 5990
katja@sciuscommunications.com
Daniel Gooch
+44 7747 875479
daniel@sciuscommunications.com
Other news
Pan Cancer T’s potential recognised at MEET2WIN with two awards
Pan Cancer T’s strong investment potential was highlighted at MEET2WIN with two awards, giving CEO Rachel Abbott a platform to present in depth and receive direct feedback from leading European oncology experts and top pharma companies.
Extended Partnership with NecstGen
Pan Cancer T, a preclinical biotech focussing on the development of next-generation TCR-T treatments, has extended its collaboration with Leiden based NecstGen to include the development and clinical manufacturing of retroviral vectors. The parties have agreed to...
4.25 Million in Seed Extension Round
Pan Cancer T B.V., a pioneering biotech start-up developing next-generation T cell therapies for solid cancer treatment, has successfully closed a €4.25 million Seed Extension round.
Pan Cancer T are EIT Health Catapult Finalists
On 5th June, our CEO, Rachel Abbott, was pleased to represent Pan Cancer T in the EIT Health Catapult finals at the health.tech global summit in Munich.
Awarded the Seal of Excellence from the European Commission
Amongst a record number of applicants, Pan Cancer T’s EIC Accelerator proposal has been awarded the Seal of Excellence.
Selected as semi finalist of the EIT Health Catapult venture challenge
Pan Cancer T has been selected as semi finalist of the EIT Health Catapult venture challenge
Rachel Abbott to succeed Katrien Reynders-Frederix as Chief Executive Officer
Pan Cancer T appoints Rachel Abbott to succeed Katrien Reynders-Frederix as Chief Executive Officer
Poster Presentation
Pan Cancer T is presenting preclinical data at CIMT and SITC 2023
Pan Cancer T Appoints Prof. Dr. Chiara Bonini to its Scientific Advisory Board
“I am excited to join Pan Cancer T´s Scientific Advisory Board,” said Prof. Dr. Chiara Bonini. “T cell therapies hold tremendous promises for tumor patients and the development of TCR T therapies is just gaining momentum. I am convinced that Pan Cancer T will play a pioneering role in this field, as the Company is working on the main challenges in the field: identifying novel tumor antigens and leveraging engineering technology to enhance the T cells´ durability.”