Cancer immunotherapies hold massive potential, but their broader adoption requires better predictability of treatment outcomes. The Solid IO team is convinced that the solution lies in mimicking the patient’s own biology to predict how a tumor will respond to treatments, enabled by its tumor-on-a-chip drug testing platform. The company is among the 10 promising teams selected for the fifth Health Incubator Helsinki program in the spring of 2024.

2 billion dollars – that’s how much is spent annually in the U.S. alone on ineffective immunotherapy treatments for stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer patients only.

“Immunotherapies are advancing rapidly, but their prescription still largely relies on guesswork. Oncologists lack an efficient and reliable tool to determine which treatment will work best for each individual patient,” explains Solid IO’s Chief Science Officer, As.Professor and Principal Investigator Heidi Haikala.

While working as a lung cancer researcher, Haikala became determined to address this challenge herself. Her ambition to create something game-changing caught a new spark during her postdoctoral fellowship in the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute & Harvard Medical School where she was introduced to organ-on-a-chip technology – a system that merges bioengineering with patient-derived cells, offering a promising alternative to animal testing.

“I started questioning why so much effort was still being spent on mouse models, given how little progress they have made in addressing the key issues of immunotherapy”, Haikala reflects.

Upon returning to Finland, Haikala founded her own laboratory, HaikaLab Immuno-oncology Research Group. Together with her research team, she began developing alternative models for studying and diagnosing immunotherapies, based on organ-on-a-chip technology. In 2023, a Research to Business project, supported by Business Finland, was launched to bridge the gap between academic research and commercial applications, with the ultimate goal of transforming cancer care worldwide.

Enhancing personalized, precision-driven care

Solid-IO’s organ-on-a-chip drug testing platform uses a patient’s own tumor and immune cells and recreates a dynamic tumor microenvironment. This approach provides predictive insights that traditional models fail to capture. The core idea behind the innovation is simple: to match patients with the most effective treatments faster.

“In lung cancer treatment, there are targeted therapies that target specific genetic mutations, and immunotherapies that enhance the immune system’s ability to recognize and attack cancer cells. While current immunotherapies are effective for some patients, they are not effective for others,” Haikala explains.

By guiding patients to treatments tailored to their individual needs, the platform can help reduce unnecessary side effects, cut costs, and avoid delays in the treatment process. In the best-case scenario, it could significantly extend a patient’s life expectancy.

The current trial-and-error approach also presents significant challenges for oncologists. Recognizing this, the Solid-IO team has prioritized designing a solution that integrates seamlessly with the existing clinical workflows.

“We want our platform to work within current systems without causing any disruptions for patients, doctors, or healthcare staff,” Haikala emphasizes.

Full speed ahead

In addition to Dr. Haikala, Solid IO’s founding team includes CEO, M.Sc, EMBA Noora Hujala and Lead Scientist, M.Sc., PhD researcher Bassel Alsaed. The company has just span out from the University of Helsinki and has already successfully closed its first equity funding round of 0.8 million euros.

“We are targeting the U.S. market, and this funding enables us to maintain strong momentum while advancing toward clinical validation. We are able to keep up the good pace and prepare for clinical validation”, celebrates Hujala. “We are excited to have found the right partners from the very start to accelerate and support us”, she adds.

Since spring 2024, Solid IO has also been supported by Health Incubator Helsinki. Through the program, the team has received coaching on health startup-specific topics like regulatory management and gained a deeper understanding of other essential business areas.

Haikala and Hujala both agree that the sense of community and opportunity for peer support are among Health Incubator Helsinki’s greatest strengths.

“We believe that stronger local collaboration leads to greater international competitiveness for Finnish health startups. Fortunately, that’s something we can all contribute to,” Hujala concludes.

Solid IO is currently looking for clinical and customer validations partners. If you’re interested in collaborating with the project, please contact the team!

Contact details:
Noora Hujala, CEO
noora.hujala(at)solid-io.com

Check out all the companies in the Health Incubator Helsinki program.

Text: Saana Lehtinen, Uoma Media Oy

Photo: Solid IO