A multidisciplinary consortium led by Danish biotech company PreTT ApS has received a DKK 31.2 million (€4 million) investment from Innovation Fund Denmark for the PRE-BREACH project. The project aims to develop a groundbreaking radiotherapy capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier to treat glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive and deadly forms of brain cancer.

Glioblastoma remains one of the most lethal cancers, with 75–80% of patients dying within two years of diagnosis. Its location in the brain severely limits treatment options such as surgery and external radiation, while the blood-brain barrier prevents most therapies from reaching the tumour.

Engineering how alpha radiation reaches its destination to fight cancer

The PRE-BREACH project brings together three advanced technologies in a single therapeutic platform designed to deliver radiation with high precision:

  • A shuttle mechanism: a specially designed antibody that actively crosses the otherwise impenetrable blood-brain barrier.
  • Pre-targeted precision: the antibody binds selectively to a receptor highly expressed on glioblastoma cells and accumulates at the tumour site before the radioactive payload is administered and clicks directly onto it, reducing off-target radiation.
  • Alpha radiation: by using this short-range, highly potent type of radiation, cancer cells can be destroyed with extreme precision, while sparing surrounding healthy brain tissue.

“Our mission is to unlock the power of radiation: Precision without compromise,” said Natalia Herrero Alvarez, CEO of PreTT ApS. “By separating the cancer-targeting step from the delivery of radiation, we aim to improve both tolerability and therapeutic impact, while addressing the drug delivery challenge that has held back progress in brain cancer for decades. We are developing a therapy designed to deliver a precise, localized strike across the blood-brain barrier, directly to the core of the tumour. With support from Innovation Fund Denmark, our goal is to move this breakthrough technology from the lab to the patients in need.”

A strong multidisciplinary consortium

The PRE-BREACH consortium brings together leading experts from industry and academia to accelerate the path from proof of concept to patient benefit. The partners are:

  • PreTT ApS – specialists in pre-targeted radiopharmaceuticals and project coordinator
  • University of Copenhagen, Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Department of Biomedical Sciences - experts in advanced molecular imaging and radioligand therapy
  • University of Copenhagen, Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology – experts in radiochemistry
  • Rigshospitalet, Finsen Laboratory – specialists in antibody development
  • Curasight A/S – responsible for clinical and regulatory strategy
  • PanTarg ApS – contributes expertise in target biology and antibody-based therapeutics

Innovation Fund Denmark is investing DKK 31.2 million in the project, which will run for five years. By the end of the project in 2030, the consortium aims to deliver a complete preclinical package ready to support first-in-human clinical trials.

If successful, PRE-BREACH could pave the way for a less toxic treatment for glioblastoma, with the potential to improve both survival and quality of life for patients. The project could also further strengthen Denmark’s position as an international leader in cancer therapeutics.


Further information

Contact:
Natalia Herrero Alvarez
Project Coordinator, preTT ApS
Email: natalia.herrero@pre-tt.com
Phone: +45 53 52 04 43

Project facts

  • Full name: Innovative uPAR Pretargeted Alpha Radioligand Therapy for Glioblastoma (PRE-BREACH)
  • Total budget: DKK 41.6 million
  • Grant from Innovation Fund Denmark: DKK 31.2 million
  • Project period: 2026–2030
  • Partners: PreTT ApS, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Curasight A/S, PanTarg ApS