The Popcorn platform is a first-in-class modular therapeutic oncolytic adenovirus delivery system designed to produce single-domain functional antibodies against any chosen target within the tumor microenvironment, accelerating translation across tumor types.
DMG is not just rare and aggressive — it occupies the brainstem, making surgical resection impossible and conventional drug delivery irrelevant.
Patients remain mentally aware while progressively losing vital functions: vision, swallowing, movement, breathing.
Radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and adult immunotherapy have all failed. There is currently no effective treatment.
Scroll to see how POP02's three simultaneous mechanisms address the specific barriers that have made DMG untreatable.
POP02 replicates exclusively within tumor cells, directly destroying cancer tissue while leaving healthy neural cells completely unharmed.
Intratumoral DeliveryLocalized immune co-stimulation activates CD4 and CD8 T cells precisely within the tumor microenvironment — avoiding systemic toxicity.
Laspidea et al. JCI Insight (2022)Blocks immune suppression checkpoints, allowing the body's natural defenses to sustain the anti-tumor response long after initial treatment.
Ausejo-Mauleon et al. Cancer Cell (2023)In the most aggressive preclinical DMG models, POP02 produced long-term survivors free of disease — an outcome not achieved by DNX2401, B7H3 CAR-T, or ONC201.
Best-in-class vs DNX2401, B7H3 CAR-T, ONC201POP02 is built on DNX2401 — an oncolytic adenovirus with established human safety and demonstrated anti-tumor activity in peer-reviewed Phase I trials.
First demonstration of DNX2401 efficacy in DMG preclinical models
Phase I clinical trial proving safety and preliminary efficacy in humans
Built on DNX2401, the only oncolytic adenovirus with proven clinical activity in high-grade gliomas — including compassionate-use data in pediatric DMG.
Single-domain antibody (sdAb) payload is interchangeable — the same viral chassis can be re-armed against different immune targets with minimal re-engineering.
Direct intratumoral delivery bypasses the blood–brain barrier — the major pharmacological obstacle that has defeated all systemic therapies in DMG.
Adenovirus vectors carry an established pediatric safety record. No DNA integration risk. POP02 replication is restricted to H3K27M-mutant tumor cells.
Orphan Drug Designation eligibility (FDA + EMA) provides 10-year market exclusivity, priority review, and fee waivers. Breakthrough Therapy application planned post-Phase I proof-of-concept.
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POP02 is our lead program targeting pediatric DMG, with platform expansion into adult GBM already in preclinical development.