New SmiLe company Strike Pharma develops next-generation precision medicine

Lund, Sweden – Strike Pharma has developed a technology platform that enables the selective delivery of drugs, enclosed in nanoparticles, to specific cells in the body. With this innovation, immune cells can be reprogrammed inside the body (in vivo), which would offer significant advantages in treating autoimmune diseases and cancer. Strike Pharma has been accepted into SmiLe’s incubator program. 

Strike Pharma’s technology enables a flexible conjugation of targeting antibodies to nanoparticles, allowing precise delivery of drug-loaded nanoparticles to specific cells. This approach supports the development of next-generation CAR-T therapies  – an advanced form of immunotherapy where a patient’s T cells (a type of immune cells) are reprogrammed to recognize and eliminate harmful cells. 

Present CAR-T treatments are highly effective but require the patient’s T cells to be extracted, modified, and cultured in a laboratory before being reinfused. This process is costly, time-consuming, and comes with significant risks. 

Strike Pharma's in vivo CAR-T technology bypasses these limitations by enabling direct reprogramming of T cells within the patient’s body. This approach eliminates the need for complex laboratory procedures and may also lower costs and reduce treatment risks.  

Currently, Strike Pharma is developing a drug candidate that reprograms T cells to attack B cells, aiming to improve treatments for certain autoimmune diseases. 

The company’s new CEO, Per Norlén, brings extensive experience in leading innovative biotech companies. He has previously served as CEO of Alligator Bioscience, Targinta, Evaxion Biotech, and WntResearch. 

"Our technology enables a completely new form of precision treatment, where, for example, gene-based drugs can be delivered specifically to the cells that need to be targeted. We are very pleased to establish our operations at SmiLe and to benefit from their expertise in business development and investor relations. While we already have a laboratory in Uppsala, we expect to focus more of our work in SmiLe’s lab facilities," says Per Norlén, CEO of Strike Pharma. 

"We are pleased to welcome Strike Pharma to our incubator program, where we already have other companies active in the field of ATMP (Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products). Skåne has a strong position in research and development within this area, providing the company with a unique opportunity to benefit from this dynamic ecosystem in its growth. Their innovative technology has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of severe diseases," says Ulrika Ringdahl, CEO of SmiLe Venture Hub. 

For more information, contact:  
Ulrika Ringdahl, CEO of SmiLe Venture Hub, ulrika.ringdahl@smileventurehub.com 
Or  
Per Norlén, CEO of Strike Pharma, Per.Norlen@strikepharma.com 

More information:
There is significant interest in in vivo CAR-T technology within the pharmaceutical industry. CAR stands for chimeric antigen receptor and involves equipping immune cells, typically T cells (CAR-T), with a new targeting receptor that directs them to attack specific structures. Several CAR-T cell therapies have been approved, but their use is limited by high costs and substantial risks. The goal of in vivo CAR-T is to achieve similar or even better therapeutic effects by reprogramming a patient’s immune cells inside the body. This approach is expected to reduce risks and side effects, allow for repeated treatments, and drastically lower costs.