PHILADELPHIA, PA & SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Dispatch Bio emerged from stealth this past week with a mission as ambitious as it is urgent: to develop a universal treatment for solid tumors, which make up roughly 90% of all cancers worldwide. Backed by $216 million in funding and a powerhouse team of scientists and investors, the company unveiled a proprietary platform it believes could fundamentally reshape cancer therapy.
At the core of Dispatch’s strategy is the Flare platform, a novel therapeutic approach that uses a viral vector to deliver a universal antigen to tumor cells. The technology not only marks the cancer cells for immune recognition but also dismantles the immunosuppressive environment that typically protects solid tumors from attack.
“At Dispatch, we are leveraging the ideal tumor target – one that is only expressed by the tumor cells in a patient – and advances in cell therapy engineering and immune system activation at the right place, at the right time, to get to deep and durable responses in cancer,” said Sabah Oney, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Dispatch. “This work matters deeply to me, as it does to so many whose lives have been touched by cancer. We’ve built a strong scientific foundation, assembled an exceptional team and developed innovative technology that give us a real shot at making a difference. We are fully committed to doing everything we can for patients who urgently need new options.”
Solid tumors have historically presented major challenges for immunotherapies due to the lack of consistent surface markers and the presence of immune-resistant microenvironments. The Flare platform is designed to overcome both, acting as a beacon to help the immune system locate and destroy cancerous cells without damaging healthy tissue.
The company’s scientific foundation is rooted in a collaboration with the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI) and features intellectual contributions from renowned labs across leading institutions. Founding scientists include Carl June, M.D., a pioneer in CAR T-cell therapy, and Andy Minn, M.D., Ph.D., an expert in cancer immunology.
“With this confluence of innovative technologies from the labs across PICI, we are poised to shift how cancer therapies are conceived,” said Sean Parker, founder and chairman of PICI, as well as a member of Dispatch’s board of directors. “We can now pursue the ultimate goal – a universal cure for most solid tumor cancers – using cutting-edge modalities.”
Dispatch has assembled an executive team with deep expertise in biotech, cell therapy, and drug development. Alongside Oney are Barbra Sasu, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer, and Chris Wiwi, Ph.D., leading technical operations. The company’s board includes leaders from ARCH Venture Partners, Spark Therapeutics, and Bristol Myers Squibb, among others.
The company’s Series A financing, led by ARCH Venture Partners and PICI, also includes strategic investment from Bristol Myers Squibb, Stanford University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Alexandria Venture Investments. The funds will support the advancement of Dispatch’s lead programs into first-in-human clinical trials, expected to begin in 2026.
“We are on the wave of a revolution in cancer therapy, where innovations like Dispatch’s tumor-agnostic approach to immunotherapy have the potential to treat a majority of solid tumors,” said Steve Gillis, Ph.D., board member of Dispatch and managing director at ARCH Venture Partners. “We are excited to support the Dispatch team as they continue to advance their programs.”
As Dispatch begins its clinical journey, its launch marks a significant step toward making broadly effective immunotherapy a reality for patients facing solid tumors—a feat long considered out of reach in oncology.
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