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nCage Therapeutics
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A researcher at a microscope, examining a culture plate in the laboratory.

About

A cage you can program

nCage develops unique programmable synthetic virus-like particles, used as vaccines or as drug delivery systems

Established in 2020 and based in Kraków, Poland, and Durham, UK

What we bring

  • Develop

    Development of a novel technology for respiratory vaccines

  • Technology

    Unique, global patent-protected TRAP-cage technology

  • Efficacy

    Preclinical animal data have demonstrated excellent efficacy of our platform

  • People

    A team of leading scientists and globally experienced biotech professionals

Our team

Founders and management

Research leadership from Cambridge, Oxford and RIKEN, alongside commercial leadership from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim and Sanofi.

  • John V. Bason, Ph.D.

    Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder

  • Christopher Kaplan

    Chief Business Officer & Co-Founder

  • Katarzyna Deoniziak

    Finance Director

  • Jonathan Heddle, Ph.D., D.Sc.

    Chief Scientific Officer & Co-Founder

  • Izabela Stupka, Ph.D.

    Principal Scientist

Supervisory Board

  • Jarosław Oleszczuk, MD, Ph.D.

    Chair of the Supervisory Board

  • Danuta Earnshaw, Ph.D.

    Supervisory Board Member

  • Aleksander Kłósek

    Supervisory Board Member

  • Anna Wojciechowska, Ph.D.

    Supervisory Board Member

Milestones

From a structure to a pipeline

Scientific and business milestones since the company was founded.

  1. 2026

    • Q3 · ScientificFirst cytotoxicity dataset for the TRAP-cage antibody drug conjugate. The cage was redesigned with new cysteine mutants to carry a wider range of payloads.
    • ScientificLyme disease established as the lead program, with de novo OspC antigens displayed on the TRAP-cage.
    • Q2 · BusinessNIH license for prefusion RSV F proteins extended by two years.
    • Q1 · BusinessCollaboration agreement signed with Durham University for next-generation vaccine manufacturing.

  2. 2025

    • Q4 · ScientificProof of concept dataset for the universal influenza vaccine: neutralizing antibody response in mice.
    • Q4 · BusinessFirst external production of the TRAP-cage at a contract manufacturer.
    • Q3 · ScientificStrong T cell response in mice from peptides delivered inside the cage.
    • ScientificHigh load cage: around 130 peptides carried inside and around 30 antigens displayed outside.
    • BusinessOption agreement with Oxford University Innovation for universal influenza epitopes.
    • BusinessCompany converted to a joint stock company, nCage Therapeutics S.A.

  3. 2024

    • Q4 · BusinessResearch collaboration with Ryvu Therapeutics on a TRAP-cage antibody drug conjugate platform.
    • Q3 · BusinessCollaboration with the University of Nottingham on a Chagas disease vaccine.
    • ScientificInternal antigen packaging with SpyTag and SpyCatcher.
    • Q2 · BusinessLicense agreement with the US National Institutes of Health for prefusion RSV F proteins.
    • Q2 · BusinessThree further patent families under examination in Europe, the United States, Japan, China and Canada.
    • Q1 · BusinessPLN 11 million financing round completed with YouNick Mint and private investors.
    • Q1 · BusinessSupervisory Board established, chaired by Jarosław Oleszczuk.

  4. 2023

    • ScientificIn-mice immune response for a viral vaccine, attached externally.
    • BusinessFirst patent accepted.
    • Q3 · ScientificNeutralizing antibody results.

  5. 2022

    • ScientificIn-mice immune response for a test antigen attached externally, with MSD.
    • BusinessExtensive partnership agreed with leading UK scientists and the University of Nottingham.

  6. 2021

    • ScientificCapture of internal cargo and delivery to cells.
    • BusinessSecond licensing agreement with Jagiellonian University.
    • BusinessPrepared and filed three additional patents.

  7. 2020

    • BusinessCollaboration agreement with MSD.
    • BusinessCommercial agreement with UJ/MCB for laboratory space.
    • ScientificProduction and structure determination of an artificial protein cage.
    • BusinessFirst licensing agreement with Jagiellonian University.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to what we are asked most often about the company and the platform

Who is nCage Therapeutics?
nCage Therapeutics is a biotechnology company established in 2019 and based in Kraków, Poland, with operations at NETPark in the United Kingdom. It develops programmable synthetic protein cages, called TRAP-cages, which are used both as vaccines and as drug delivery systems.
What is a TRAP-cage?
A TRAP-cage is a synthetic virus-like particle assembled from twenty-four rings of the bacterial TRAP protein, held together at their vertices by gold(I) ions. It is hollow, carries no genetic material of its own, and can either display biological material on its surface or transport cargo inside the cell.
What makes TRAP-cages different from other virus-like particles?
Programmable opening and closing, which is unique to the TRAP-cage platform. Other synthetic virus-like particles mount antigens only on the outside. A TRAP-cage is also loaded on the inside, holds that cargo shut in circulation, and releases it on cue once it reaches the target cell.
How does the cage open on command?
The gold(I) links that hold the protein rings together break in the presence of a reducing agent inside the cell. Nothing else about the cage has to change: the cage falls apart and delivers its payload where it is needed, rather than on the way there.
What can a TRAP-cage carry?
Proteins, peptides, nucleic acids and small molecule drugs. Both the exterior and the interior surfaces of the cage are readily modified, which is where most of the platform's potential sits.
What is in nCage's pipeline?
The company’s leading product programs are a Lyme disease vaccine, a universal influenza vaccine, and a drug delivery system, all being developed on the same underlying platform.
Who founded nCage Therapeutics?
The company was co-founded by John V. Bason, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer; Christopher Kaplan, Chief Business Officer; and Jonathan Heddle, Ph.D., D.Sc., Chief Scientific Officer.
Where is nCage Therapeutics based?
The company operates through two entities: nCage Therapeutics S.A. at ul. Profesora Michała Bobrzyńskiego 14, 30-348 Kraków, Poland, and nCage Ltd. at Orbit, Joseph Swan Road, NETPark, Sedgefield TS21 3FB, United Kingdom.
How can I contact nCage Therapeutics?
Write to info@ncage.org, or use the inquiry form on the contact page. Inquiries reach the team directly.