C-Further Unveils First Therapeutic Programmes Dedicated to Paediatric Oncology
C-Further, an international consortium committed to creating new therapeutics for childhood cancers, today unveils the first early-stage therapeutic programmes for its pipeline, dedicated to paediatric oncology indications. Through its collaborative model, C-Further has partnered with investigators at UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Mass General Brigham to advance CF-012 for the potential treatment of Ewing sarcoma. In parallel, the consortium has partnered with investigators at MiNK Therapeutics (Nasdaq: INKT) to advance CF-033, leveraging MiNK’s proprietary platform with translational support by investigators at the University of Southampton, for the potential treatment of multiple children’s cancers, including bone sarcoma, medulloblastoma and acute myeloid leukaemia.
Enabled by C-Further’s core partners, Cancer Research Horizons, LifeArc and Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH Charity), the consortium will support the progression of CF-012 and CF-033 up to preclinical candidate nomination, subject to completion of scientific milestones. Together, these projects form the foundation of C-Further’s expanding pipeline which is supported by an initial $40m (£30m) budget.
Lone Friis, PhD, C-Further Programme Co-lead said: “By combining the pioneering approaches of our scientific collaborators with industry-standard drug discovery capabilities, expertise of our core partners and reach into critical paediatric-focused networks, C-Further is advancing a pipeline of potential first-in-class therapies for childhood cancers. Guided by an indication-agnostic but child-first approach, we believe the initial CF-012 and CF-033 programmes have the potential to address a profound unmet need across multiple children’s cancers.”
The selected research partners represent top academic and industry investigators from across the globe, underscoring the international reach and ambition of C-Further.
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CF-012 targets ETV6, a newly identified and critical transcriptional dependency that is essential for tumour growth and metastasis. The aim is to develop a potential first-in-class inhibitor with a precise mechanism to disrupt tumour growth and metastasis in young patients.
John Bushweller, PhD, Professor at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and a member of UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center, investigator for CF-012, said: “We’re excited to partner with C-Further to progress CF-012. Children and young people have historically lacked effective, targeted cancer treatments and CF-012 has the potential to address an urgent unmet need in relapsed and metastatic Ewing sarcoma – a rare, aggressive bone tumour that most commonly occurs in young people. With C-Further’s collaborative, child-first drug discovery model, we believe we have the power to bring these medicines to market.”
Other key investigators for the CF-012 therapeutic programme include Kimberly Stegmaier, MD, Chair of the Department of Pediatric Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Miguel Rivera, MD, Assistant Molecular Pathologist at Massachusetts General Hospital.
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CF-033 is a potential first-in-class allogeneic iNKT cell therapy engineered with a specific T-cell receptor targeting PRAME, which bridges innate and adaptive immunity and is designed to enable both direct tumour cell killing and broader immune activation within the tumour microenvironment. As an allogeneic, off-the-shelf approach without the need for toxic lymphodepletion, CF-033 has the potential to support more timely treatment delivery and improved tolerability, which are important considerations in paediatric oncology, where new therapeutic approaches are urgently needed.
Marco Purbhoo, PhD, Head of Translational Medicine at MiNK Therapeutics, investigator for CF-033, said: “CF-033 is a PRAME-targeted invariant NKT (iNKT) cell therapy developed to address the urgent needs of children with high-risk cancers, which are often marked by treatment resistance and a weakened immune response that cannot sustain tumour control. Unlike conventional CAR-T or TCR-T therapies, CF-033 harnesses the unique biology of iNKT cells — immune cells that can both directly kill cancer and help coordinate a broader, longer-lasting anti-tumour response. Importantly, this approach is designed to be delivered without the need for HLA matching or toxic lymphodepletion, which is particularly meaningful for this vulnerable paediatric population.”
Ali Roghanian, PhD, Associate Professor at the University of Southampton, is the other key investigator leading the CF-033 therapeutic programme.
C‑Further welcomes expressions of interest from researchers, innovators and partners who share its mission to accelerate new tailored and well-tolerated treatments for children and young people with cancer. The deadline to be considered for the next round of submissions is 13 March 2026.
C-Further has also commenced preliminary research on a third, undisclosed project. Additional programmes are expected to be announced in 2026.
To learn more about ongoing work or to explore partnering opportunities, visit the C-Further website.
About C-Further
C-Further is an international consortium that aims to bring together drug discovery and development researchers, clinicians, partners and impact investors with a shared commitment to creating new therapeutics for childhood cancers.
Our vision is to break from the conventional approach of repurposing adult therapies causing lasting harm to developing bodies – and create a world where young patients are treated effectively with tailored, well-tolerated treatments.
Together we’re combining expertise from around the world to create an innovation ecosystem that allows us to challenge conventional approaches to developing therapies and accelerate promising ideas towards better outcomes for children living with cancer. Our operational model brings together industry-standard drug discovery and academic innovation, ensuring a clear and viable path to patients. If you share this vision and believe you can contribute, we invite you to connect with us and be part of the change: [email protected]. Visit www.c-further.org for more information.
About UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center and UVA Health
UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center is one of 57 National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States for its work in cancer research, prevention, detection and treatment. UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center provides world-class cancer treatment led by doctors who have been honored by publications such as Best Doctors in America® and America’s Top Doctors®. UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center is part of UVA Health, a leading academic health system that includes the UVA School of Medicine, UVA School of Nursing, UVA Physicians Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, as well as multiple hospitals across Virginia. In addition, UVA recently launched the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology to accelerate the development of new treatments and cures for cancers and other complex diseases. Visit uvahealth.com for more information, resources and social media links.
About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the world’s leading centers of cancer research and treatment. Dana-Farber’s mission is to reduce the burden of cancer through scientific inquiry, clinical care, education, community engagement and advocacy. Dana-Farber is a federally designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.
Dana-Farber is the only hospital nationwide with a top 3 U.S. News & World Report Best Cancer Hospital ranking in both adult and pediatric care.
As a global leader in oncology, Dana-Farber is dedicated to a unique and equal balance between cancer research and care, translating the results of discovery into new treatments for patients locally and around the world, offering more than 1,200 clinical trials.
About Mass General Brigham
Mass General Brigham is an integrated academic health care system, uniting great minds to solve the hardest problems in medicine for our communities and the world. Mass General Brigham connects a full continuum of care across a system of academic medical centers, community and specialty hospitals, a health insurance plan, physician networks, community health centers, home care, and long-term care services. Mass General Brigham is a nonprofit organization committed to patient care, research, teaching, and service to the community. In addition, Mass General Brigham is one of the nation’s leading biomedical research organizations with several Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals. For more information, please visit massgeneralbrigham.org.
About MiNK Therapeutics
MiNK Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering allogeneic invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell therapies and precision-targeted immune technologies. MiNK’s proprietary platform is designed to restore immune balance and drive cytotoxic responses across cancer, immune-mediated diseases, and pulmonary immune failure. MiNK’s lead candidate, agenT-797, is an off-the-shelf iNKT cell therapy currently in clinical development for GvHD, solid tumors, and severe pulmonary inflammation. With a scalable cryopreserved manufacturing process and differentiated biology bridging innate and adaptive immunity, MiNK is committed to developing next-generation immune reconstitution therapies. For more information, visit www.minktherapeutics.com or follow us on X @MiNK_iNKT.
About the University of Southampton
The University of Southampton drives original thinking, turns knowledge into action and impact, and creates solutions to the world’s challenges. We are among the top 100 institutions globally (QS World University Rankings 2025). Our academics are leaders in their fields, forging links with high-profile international businesses and organisations, and inspiring a 24,000-strong community of exceptional students, from over 135 countries worldwide. Through our high-quality education, the University helps students on a journey of discovery to realise their potential and join our global network of over 300,000 alumni. www.southampton.ac.uk
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Contact
C-Further Press Release Contacts:
– Megan McGrath (trade outlets): [email protected]
– Fiona Scott (consumer and nationals): [email protected]
– Please CC Pierre Peotta [email protected]
UVA Comprehensive Cancer Center and UVA Health Press Release Contact:
– Josh Barney – [email protected]
MiNK Therapeutics Press Release Contacts:
– Investor Contact: 917-362-1370 | [email protected]
– Media Contact: 781-674-4428 | [email protected]
MiNK Therapeutics Corporate Spokesperson: Dr. Jennifer Buell
– Media Liaison: Stefanie Perna-Nacar: [email protected]
– Please cc Dr. Buell’s assistant, Dimitra Dariotis-Diaz [email protected] on any media inquiries sent to Stefanie
The University of Southampton Press Release Contact:
– Lucy Collie, PR Manager: [email protected]
Abstract
C-Further unveils the first early-stage therapeutic programmes for its pipeline, dedicated to paediatric oncology indications.
