Top 7 Pancreatic cancer treatment startups in USA
Apr 18, 2026
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19
1
Funding: $4.3B
Revolution Medicines develops novel treatments for cancers associated with RAS activation (which accounts for 30 percent of all new human cancer diagnoses). The company is building a portfolio of RAS(ON) inhibitors using its tricomplex inhibitor platform, which provides unprecedented access to the active form of oncogenic RAS. Revolution Medicines is building a comprehensive pipeline of targeted therapies for the discovery, development, and delivery of new therapeutic options for PDAC, NSCLC, and solid tumors. The pipeline is designed to allow the evaluation of compounds as monotherapies and in combination with existing standard-of-care therapies and/or other compounds within our portfolio.
Revolution Medicines develops novel treatments for cancers associated with RAS activation (which accounts for 30 percent of all new human cancer diagnoses). The company is building a portfolio of RAS(ON) inhibitors using its tricomplex inhibitor platform, which provides unprecedented access to the active form of oncogenic RAS. Revolution Medicines is building a comprehensive pipeline of targeted therapies for the discovery, development, and delivery of new therapeutic options for PDAC, NSCLC, and solid tumors. The pipeline is designed to allow the evaluation of compounds as monotherapies and in combination with existing standard-of-care therapies and/or other compounds within our portfolio.
2
Funding: $146.5M
CancerVax is developing a new bispecific antibody vaccine for the treatment of recurrent Ewing sarcoma. This therapeutic vaccine can target and attach to Ewing sarcoma cancer cells, recruiting the body's natural killer T cells to the tumor to destroy it; hence the name "bispecific." In extensive laboratory cell studies, several candidates demonstrated significant T-cell killing of Ewing sarcoma cells, meaning the vaccine was doing its job of recruiting T cells to the tumor cells for destruction. The company also has candidates for the treatment of pancreatic and liver cancer.
CancerVax is developing a new bispecific antibody vaccine for the treatment of recurrent Ewing sarcoma. This therapeutic vaccine can target and attach to Ewing sarcoma cancer cells, recruiting the body's natural killer T cells to the tumor to destroy it; hence the name "bispecific." In extensive laboratory cell studies, several candidates demonstrated significant T-cell killing of Ewing sarcoma cells, meaning the vaccine was doing its job of recruiting T cells to the tumor cells for destruction. The company also has candidates for the treatment of pancreatic and liver cancer.
3
Funding: $182.3M
Actuate Therapeutics develops molecular drugs for cancer treatment. Its lead drug, elraglusib (a GSK-3 inhibitor), targets multiple molecular pathways in cancer cells involved in promoting tumor growth and developing resistance to traditional anticancer drugs and chemotherapy. Elraglusib is also considered a mediator of antitumor immunity by inhibiting multiple immune checkpoints and regulating immune cell function. Actuate has demonstrated promising results in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, childhood malignancies, metastatic salivary gland carcinoma and melanoma.
Actuate Therapeutics develops molecular drugs for cancer treatment. Its lead drug, elraglusib (a GSK-3 inhibitor), targets multiple molecular pathways in cancer cells involved in promoting tumor growth and developing resistance to traditional anticancer drugs and chemotherapy. Elraglusib is also considered a mediator of antitumor immunity by inhibiting multiple immune checkpoints and regulating immune cell function. Actuate has demonstrated promising results in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, childhood malignancies, metastatic salivary gland carcinoma and melanoma.
4
Funding: $1.3B
Fate Therapeutics develops clinical drug candidates for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancer using its propriety iPSCs platform (induced pluripotent stem cells). These cell therapies are selectively engineered and provide novel synthetic mechanisms for regulating cellular function. The company utilizes iPSC master cell lines to generate immune system cells, including NK cells, T cells and CD34+ cells and is developing a portfolio of ready-to-use cellular immunotherapy products for the treatment of solid tumors (particularly lung, pancreatic and ovarian cancer). FT819, its first iPSC-derived CAR T-cell product candidate, demonstrates potent, dose-dependent B-cell killing comparable to that of autologous primary CAR T cells in in-vitro cytotoxicity assay using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in SLE.
Fate Therapeutics develops clinical drug candidates for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancer using its propriety iPSCs platform (induced pluripotent stem cells). These cell therapies are selectively engineered and provide novel synthetic mechanisms for regulating cellular function. The company utilizes iPSC master cell lines to generate immune system cells, including NK cells, T cells and CD34+ cells and is developing a portfolio of ready-to-use cellular immunotherapy products for the treatment of solid tumors (particularly lung, pancreatic and ovarian cancer). FT819, its first iPSC-derived CAR T-cell product candidate, demonstrates potent, dose-dependent B-cell killing comparable to that of autologous primary CAR T cells in in-vitro cytotoxicity assay using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in SLE.
5
Funding: $1.2B
Kura Oncology develops precision small-molecule drugs for treatment of solid tumors and blood cancers. The company discovers and tests new biomarkers of cancer signaling pathways. Kura's flagship drug, COMZIFTI, is approved for the treatment of adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with a nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1) gene mutation whose AML has relapsed or failed to improve after previous treatment and who have no other satisfactory treatment options. The company's pipeline also includes clinical trials for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors, renal cell carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
Kura Oncology develops precision small-molecule drugs for treatment of solid tumors and blood cancers. The company discovers and tests new biomarkers of cancer signaling pathways. Kura's flagship drug, COMZIFTI, is approved for the treatment of adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with a nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1) gene mutation whose AML has relapsed or failed to improve after previous treatment and who have no other satisfactory treatment options. The company's pipeline also includes clinical trials for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors, renal cell carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
6
Funding: $337M
Alaunos Therapeutics develops immunotherapies for cancer treatment using novel TCR-derived T cells. These cell therapies target neoantigens (neoAgs) arising from genomic mutations in solid tumors. The company has developed proprietary, rapid and cost-effective solutions for the delivery of tumor-specific killer T cells. Alaunos' clinical TCR library targets the most common mutations in the KRAS, TP53 and EGFR genes, which are prevalent in gastrointestinal (colon, bile duct, pancreatic), lung and gynecologic (ovarian and endometrial) cancers across a range of different HLA alleles. Company's propriety non-viral Sleeping Beauty transposon/transposase system is used to introduce the TCR gene into the patient's autologous T cells. Alaunos's current pipeline includes clinical trials against lung, colorectal, pancreatic and ovarian cancers.
Alaunos Therapeutics develops immunotherapies for cancer treatment using novel TCR-derived T cells. These cell therapies target neoantigens (neoAgs) arising from genomic mutations in solid tumors. The company has developed proprietary, rapid and cost-effective solutions for the delivery of tumor-specific killer T cells. Alaunos' clinical TCR library targets the most common mutations in the KRAS, TP53 and EGFR genes, which are prevalent in gastrointestinal (colon, bile duct, pancreatic), lung and gynecologic (ovarian and endometrial) cancers across a range of different HLA alleles. Company's propriety non-viral Sleeping Beauty transposon/transposase system is used to introduce the TCR gene into the patient's autologous T cells. Alaunos's current pipeline includes clinical trials against lung, colorectal, pancreatic and ovarian cancers.
7
Funding: $86.9M
Vaccinex develops novel therapeutic antibodies for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Its drugs are based on the inhibition of semaphorin SEMA4D - potent biological effector believed to prevent immune infiltration and induce myeloid-derived suppressor cells in tumors, as well as trigger neuroinflammation through reactive gliosis in the brain. The company's lead drug candidate, pepinemab, blocks SEMA4D and has the potential to enhance immune activity against tumors and reprogram underlying pathogenic immune mechanisms that exacerbate damage in chronic neurological diseases such as Asheimer's disease and Huntington's disease. The company is also advancing candidates for the treatment of cervical, pancreatic and lung cancer. Vaccinex uses its proprietary ActivMAb drug discovery platform, which enables the discovery and development of highly selective antibodies with novel mechanisms of action against complex membrane proteins.
Vaccinex develops novel therapeutic antibodies for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Its drugs are based on the inhibition of semaphorin SEMA4D - potent biological effector believed to prevent immune infiltration and induce myeloid-derived suppressor cells in tumors, as well as trigger neuroinflammation through reactive gliosis in the brain. The company's lead drug candidate, pepinemab, blocks SEMA4D and has the potential to enhance immune activity against tumors and reprogram underlying pathogenic immune mechanisms that exacerbate damage in chronic neurological diseases such as Asheimer's disease and Huntington's disease. The company is also advancing candidates for the treatment of cervical, pancreatic and lung cancer. Vaccinex uses its proprietary ActivMAb drug discovery platform, which enables the discovery and development of highly selective antibodies with novel mechanisms of action against complex membrane proteins.
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