ABOUT
ABOUT SPICA
THERAPEUTICS
Spica aims to dramatically improve patient outcomes in chronic diseases through precise targeting of pathogenic macrophage biology. Spica uses its proprietary Macrophage Fingerprinting Platform to identify and therapeutically target disease-driving macrophage subsets. Through modulation of these pathogenic subsets, the company can restore healthy macrophage function to transform the standard of care for chronic disease sufferers.
Spica Therapeutics was originally founded as OncoSpear by researchers at Aarhus University, Denmark, University of Southern Denmark and Inserm, France. In 2024, Spica was started with support from BioQube Ventures, with operations in Aarhus, Denmark and Belgium. The scientific founders have world-class expertise in macrophage biology and receptor research. They have been joined by a team with strong expertise in therapeutic antibodies and drug development. Together, we work to leverage our Macrophage Fingerprinting Platform to deliver disease-modifying antibody-based therapeutics to patients across multiple indications.
Was founded
2024
The name
of Spica
15TH
BRIGHTEST
STAR
ABOUT
Why the name
“Spica”?
The name of Spica Therapeutics is derived from the brightest star in the Virgo constellation. It is the 15th brightest star in the night sky.
To the naked eye Spica appears as a single star but, using spectroscopy, it can be realized that Spica is actually a double star. Much like that, using our fingerprinting technology Spica Therapeutics can resolve the duality of macrophages in disease development – enabling us to identify specific subsets.
Publications
Selected publications
Selected publications related to macrophage biology. CD163 and the scientific foundation behind Spica Therapeutics.
Mathiesen H, Juul-Madsen K, Tramm T, Vorup-Jensen T, Møller HJ, Etzerodt A, et al. Prognostic value of CD163(+) macrophages in solid tumor malignancies: A scoping review. Immunol Lett. 2025;272:106970.
van Elsas MJ, Labrie C, Etzerodt A, Charoentong P, van Stigt Thans JJC, Van Hall T, et al. Invasive margin tissue-resident macrophages of high CD163 expression impede responses to T cell-based immunotherapy. J Immunother Cancer. 2023;11(3).
Rasmussen RK, Etzerodt A. Therapeutic targeting of tumor-associated macrophages. Adv Pharmacol. 2021;91:185–211.
Etzerodt A, Moulin M, Doktor TK, Delfini M, Mossadegh-Keller N, Bajenoff M, et al. Tissue-resident macrophages in omentum promote metastatic spread of ovarian cancer. J Exp Med. 2020;217(4).
Etzerodt A, Tsalkitzi K, Maniecki M, Damsky W, Delfini M, Baudoin E, et al. Specific targeting of CD163(+) TAMs mobilizes inflammatory monocytes and promotes T cell-mediated tumor regression. J Exp Med. 2019;216(10):2394–411.
Graversen JH, Moestrup SK. Drug Trafficking into Macrophages via the Endocytotic Receptor CD163. Membranes (Basel). 2015;5(2):228–52.
Etzerodt A, Maniecki MB, Graversen JH, Møller HJ, Torchilin VP, Moestrup SK. Efficient intracellular drug-targeting of macrophages using stealth liposomes directed to the hemoglobin scavenger receptor CD163. J Control Release. 2012;160(1):72–80.
Kristiansen M, Graversen JH, Jacobsen C, Sonne O, Hoffman HJ, Law SK, et al. Identification of the haemoglobin scavenger receptor. Nature. 2001;409(6817):198–201.