Swiss Rockets reveals incubator business model for cancer research

The Swiss biotech company Swiss Rockets AG has launched a new business model. Forward-looking treatment methods within the therapeutic area of oncology will be identified, supported, and commercialized through the combining of services into an incubator for new oncology projects, through targeted investments along the entire development process of new drugs, through the deployment of Swiss Rockets experts and through the company's own global distribution network.

Swiss Rockets’ approach differs from traditional venture capital investors in that the company cooperates closely with universities, research institutions, and acclaimed experts. An integrated ecosystem will support researchers in their work on new anti-cancer substances. The working processes associated with the collection and analysis of tissue samples will be significantly improved, with the objective of making personalized diagnosis more affordable. According to a press release, Swiss Rockets “will mobilize extensive financial resources to develop groundbreaking therapies, while researchers will participate in the success of newly created blockbuster medicines.”

Well-filled pipeline
Swiss Rockets is developing several innovative active ingredients and medical devices with the potential to significantly improve the well-being of patients. These include vaccines against breast cancer, immunotherapies against leukemia, active substances against HPV infections and cervical cancer, and new biopsy devices.

According to a press release, most of these projects are in preclinical development, while the biopsy device is already available on the market. In order to establish a balanced range of technologies and services and to be able to support the projects financially during the development phase, Swiss Rockets AG has started to raise capital through an equity financing round.

The founder and CEO of Swiss Rockets is Vladimir Cmiljanovic, a medicinal chemist with more than 15 years’ experience in the development of cancer drugs. He is the former CEO of Piqur. The other three co-founders include his sister Natasa Cmiljanovic, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Swiss Rockets, Manuel Ebner, Strategic Advisor of Swiss Rockets and CEO for Switzerland at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and Thomas Sander, Scientific Advisor of Swiss Rockets and one of the first employees of the biotech company Actelion.

(Press release / SK)