17 Oct 2025
One of the most successful LMU spin-offs has raised 308 million euros in funding. The company develops novel biotechnological agents for tumor treatment.
© Stephan Höck
In an international investment round, Tubulis GmbH has raised a further 308 million euros (361 million US dollars). The funds will be used to expand the clinical development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), which have the potential to make cancer therapies more effective and gentler on patients.
Tubulis was founded in 2019 by a group of LMU molecular biologists led by Professor Heinrich Leonhardt at the LMU Biocenter and Professor Christian Hackenberger from the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie in Berlin (FMP Berlin). The company develops technologies for the manufacture of ADCs, which work according to the following principle: Toxic substances are connected to antibodies via a stable link. These antibodies specifically bind to certain molecules on the surface of cancer cells. The active agents are then released inside the cancer kills and kill them. “In contrast to conventional chemotherapeutics, ADCs do not attack the entire body and therefore have fewer side effects,” says Heinrich Leonhardt.
With the help of the new financing, the start-up plans to further advance the clinical development of two ADC candidates, TUB-040 and TUB-030. The first of these, TUB-040, is the lead ADC candidate of Tubulis and targets a molecule that is overexpressed in ovarian and lung cancers. It is currently being evaluated in a clinical study and was granted Fast Track status by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2024 – an expedited approval process for drugs to treat serious illnesses for which no adequate therapy yet exists. The second ADC candidate, TUB-030, targets a molecule that occurs in numerous solid tumors. In addition, the financing will facilitate the development of further drugs and new technologies for targeted cancer therapy.
“Tubulis, one of the most successful LMU spin-offs, has not only achieved record financing. What matters even more is that their revolutionary biotechnology developments give cancer patients new hope. Above all, it’s about improving patients’ lives. As a strongly research-based university we are very proud of these developments!” says Dr. Philipp Baaske, Vice President for Entrepreneurship at LMU.