Nouscom
A biotech headquartered in Basel with operations in Rome developing viral-vector immunotherapies against tumour neoantigens; its lead candidate is NOUS-209.
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Podcast Episode
🎙️ Deep Dive
Silence, Nouscom, Musixmatch — $1.3B for siRNA, €120M for cancer interception and music rights — Daily News October 19, 2026
Listen to the episodeAbout Nouscom
Founded in 2015, Nouscom is headquartered in Basel (Nouscom AG) with an operating company in Rome (Nouscom S.r.l.). It uses proprietary viral vectors to train the immune system against tumour neoantigens, both shared and personalised. Its lead programme, NOUS-209, is an investigational off-the-shelf immunotherapy for DNA mismatch-repair-deficient (dMMR/MSI) tumours: it is in development to intercept cancer in Lynch syndrome carriers, with FDA Fast Track designation, and in Phase 2 with pembrolizumab in metastatic colorectal cancer. After a €67.5 million Series C in 2023, on October 19, 2026 it closed an oversubscribed €120 million ($135 million) Series D, co-led by M Ventures and Revelation Partners, to fund a single global registration-enabling trial. The therapy remains investigational and unapproved.
The Story
Founded in 2015 by a group of Italian researchers and managers (according to StartupItalia, co-founders include Alfredo Nicosia and Elisa Scarselli), with Riccardo Cortese as chairman and CEO when the first round was announced in 2016.
How Nouscom works
Business Model
Proprietary clinical development with potential licensing or commercialisation after approval.
Revenue Model
No approved product; funded by venture capital.
Products & Services
Key Products
- NOUS-209
- Piattaforma di vettori virali per neoantigeni
Core Use Cases
- Cancer interception in Lynch syndrome carriers
- Off-the-shelf immunotherapy for dMMR/MSI tumours
- Combination with pembrolizumab in metastatic colorectal cancer
Market & Clients
Key Customers
No product on the market: clinical centres and pharmaceutical partners today, patients after any approval.
Geographic Presence
How Nouscom competes
Competitive Advantages
- Proprietary viral-vector platform
- FDA Fast Track designation for Lynch syndrome interception
- Phase 1b/2 data published in Nature Medicine
How Nouscom grows
Growth Strategy
Start the global registration-enabling NOUS-209 trial in Lynch syndrome carriers and advance the Phase 2 colorectal cancer studies.
Distribution Model
Proprietary clinical development and research-centre collaborations.
Moat (Defensibility)
Intellectual property on vectors and neoantigens, proprietary clinical data and integrated development capabilities.
Regulatory Context
FDA Fast Track designation, clinical-trial authorisations and drug approval before commercialisation.
Key Risks
- Efficacy not confirmed in a registration-enabling trial
- Safety or immunogenicity issues
- Clinical-trial timelines and costs
- Failure to obtain regulatory approval
Strategic Insights
- Intercepting cancer in genetically high-risk populations opens a market distinct from treating advanced tumours.
- Cancer vaccines have a long history of failure: the registration trial is the real test.
Funding & Investors
Funding Rounds
- 2016 - Series A: €12M
- 2017 - Series B: €42M
- 2023 - Series C: €67,5M ($72M)
Lead: Andera Partners, Bpifrance, M Ventures - 2026 - Series D: €120M ($135M)
Lead: M Ventures, Revelation Partners
Key Investors
Founding Team
Founders
Key Executives
- Marina Udier - CEO
Key Metrics
Lessons from Nouscom
- In biotech a large round funds a decisive trial; it does not prove the product works.
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Read AnalysisSources
- Nouscom Raises €120 Million ($135 Million) in Oversubscribed Series D Financing — Nouscom
- Nouscom raises $135M for pivotal trial of cancer-preventing vaccine candidate — Fierce Biotech
- Nouscom — Contact — Nouscom
- Nouscom raises EUR67.5m ($72m) in oversubscribed Series C financing round — Walder Wyss
- Nouscom, 12 milioni alla startup dei vaccini anti cancro — EconomyUp
- Nouscom (StartupItalia, maggio 2016) — StartupItalia