An idea to stop cancer before it starts

Some of the biggest names in biotech venture capital are lining up behind a company coming out of stealth mode today. That company, New York-based HiberCell, announced it has raised $60 million and plans to develop therapies targeted at the unique genetic signatures of “dormant disseminated tumor cells” — that is, cancer cells that spread throughout the body even before a tumor is detectable.

“We believe that dormant disseminated tumor cells really are central to preventing cancer metastasis and relapse,” Alan Rigby, the company’s co-founder and president, told STAT’s Sharon Begley.

HiberCell plans to target both solid tumors, especially breast and prostate, and blood cancers. It also calls itself the first company exclusively focused on the detection and treatment of dormant tumor cells.

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