Omios Biologics and XDemics Corporation have launched a strategic collaboration to revolutionize oncolytic virus manufacturing by combining biomarker-guided selectivity with high-density bioproduction. This partnership aims to deliver high-potency, affordable cancer therapies by drastically increasing viral yields and reducing production costs by at least 50 percent.
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, Calif., April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Omios Biologics and XDemics Corporation have entered into a multi-year strategic collaboration to optimize the production of Omios' next-generation oncolytic virus (OV) therapeutics using XDemics' High-Density Cell Respiration™ (HDCR™) bioproduction platform.
The oncolytic virus field has historically faced two fundamental limitations: a lack of absolute tumor selectivity and inability to generate sufficient and consistent yields of potent, high-quality virus. The alliance between Omios and XDemics directly addresses these limitations. Omios is targeting unmet medical needs in solid tumors with its best-in-class, biomarker-guided, non-attenuated and systemically administered, vaccinia-based oncolytic virus platform. Omios successfully resolved the selectivity challenge by uniquely harnessing cancer-specific cell death deficiencies to deliver highly targeted intravenous therapies. XDemics' HDCR™ platform, exclusively licensed from Caltech and City of Hope, was developed based on first principles of mass transport by XDemics' co-founders Colin Cook, CTO (PhD, Caltech), Prof. YC Tai (Caltech faculty) and Prof. Yuman Fong (City of Hope faculty) to support up to 100-fold higher cell densities over conventional systems and generate viral, T-cell, and stem cell products with improved functional activity, quality, and batch consistency, at all scales.
Extensive clinical research, as well as previous preclinical work by Omios' founders, demonstrates that viral load correlates directly with anti-tumor efficacy and the quality of the antitumor immune response. XDemics' high-density production platform, combined with Omios' safe targeting technology, enables evaluation of elevated OV dose levels, supporting exploration of dose-response relationships and potential improvements in therapeutic efficacy.
Furthermore, XDemics' manufacturing breakthrough drastically reduces the cost of goods. Omios and XDemics project a reduction in production costs by at least 50 percent, making these advanced biological therapies more accessible to a broader patient community.
"The historical limitations of oncolytic viruses are completely resolved by this partnership," says Aldo Pourchet, DVM, PhD, CEO of Omios Biologics. "Omios delivers the first and only biomarker guided OV therapeutics. XDemics delivers unprecedented manufacturing scale. Oncolytic viruses are drugs that naturally amplify. We are taking full advantage of that mechanism to produce highly efficacious and affordable drugs for every patient. This collaboration is a game changer for the entire field."
"This agreement marks an important validation of our platform in viral production with a therapeutic developer" says Christopher Thanos, PhD, CEO of XDemics. "Omios is exactly the kind of partner we built XDemics to serve; a focused, science-driven team advancing a differentiated viral modality that demands a manufacturing platform purpose-built for the biology. We're excited to work alongside Aldo and his team, and to help chart a path from process development through to clinical supply."
About Omios Biologics
Founded in 2023, Omios is a California-based biotech corporation developing a novel therapeutic platform built upon patented technologies. The company utilizes the Omios Discovery Engine (ODE) to map human disease vulnerabilities against the viral interactome. Omios currently advances three oncolytic virus programs protected by five patents. These assets represent the first biomarker-guided, non-attenuated, and systemic platform designed specifically for cold solid tumors, which represent 82 percent of the market.
About XDemics Corporation
XDemics is a Caltech spinout developing the High-Density Cell Respiration (HDCR™) platform to overcome the oxygen delivery and shear stress limitations of conventional cell culture systems, enabling direct control of pericellular oxygen at any setpoint and achieving up to 100-fold higher cell densities with improved functional activity and quality. The company's Expansify™ respiring cultureware (currently for research use only) and Profusion™ bioreactor products (under development) utilize HDCR™ to enable predictable, linear scaleup from 96-well plates to large bioreactors, supporting workflows from early discovery to commercial production of viral, T cell, and stem cell-based therapies. XDemics holds an exclusive license to a broad IP portfolio from Caltech and City of Hope. XDemics recently won the SLAS Ignite Award for best startup for 2026. Development of XDemics' platform was made possible by forward-thinking grants from NIH NCATS (grant 5R42TR002798-03), the Rothenberg Innovation Initiative, and investments from Caltech and GKCC. The company is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Media Contact
Bruno Larida, Omios Biologics, 1 (415) 237-1655, [email protected], www.omiosbio.com
Forrest Roush, XDemics Corporation, [email protected], www.xdemics.com
SOURCE Omios Biologics
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