CSEM and TheraMe! revolutionize cancer therapy with personalized drug screening technology

Neuchâtel / Lausanne (Switzerland), January 23, 2025 – The main problem in cancer therapy is that every patient and every tumor is different and reacts differently to drugs. Even worse, tumor cells rapidly change their response to drugs over time and develop resistances. What if there was a solution allowing to test which drug or drug combination works best on the tumor cells of a given patient at any given stage of the disease? This is the concept of TheraMe! – a medtech start-up that uses microfluidic technology to determine the best therapy options directly on live patient biopsies.

Cancer therapy has long presented a significant challenge in the medical field, requiring innovative and effective treatment solutions to address the complexity of the disease. Cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of death globally, claiming around 10 million lives annually and costing approximately 1 trillion CHF each year. The main challenge is that each tumor reacts differently to drugs, with resistances rapidly developing. Traditional methods often fall short in addressing the diverse and evolving nature of cancer, necessitating a more personalized and adaptive approach.

Bringing microfluidic technology for personalized cancer therapy

TheraMe! is a pioneering medtech startup based in Lausanne. Founded in 2023, TheraMe! is dedicated to revolutionizing cancer treatment by using microfluidic technologies (a kind of miniaturized laboratory on a chip). It provides personalized cancer therapy recommendation based on functional drug screening directly from patient biopsy.

TheraMe! leverages cutting-edge technology and advanced research to identify tailored therapies that target the unique characteristics of each patient's cancer. More specifically, the start-up employs proprietary microfluidic technologies to test the efficacy of cancer drugs on freshly isolated patients' tumor cells to determine the best therapy recommendation before treatment starts.

A strong collaboration to fasten the development of an industry prototype

By using proprietary microfluidic technology, TheraMe! developed a system that runs hundreds of drug tests directly on the tumor cells from patient biopsies or tumor resections. Instead of using conventional test tubes or microtiter plates, which require more cells for drug screens than what can be obtained from a patient, it performs drug tests in microscopic droplets inside microfluidic systems.

TheraMe! has been awarded an Innosuisse grant for the development of an industry prototype in collaboration with the Swiss technology innovation center CSEM. TheraMe!’s technology delivers fast results (available within a few days) and at an affordable cost. However, it still requires expert manual sample handling steps, which may introduce variability and make its integration into routine clinical practice more challenging. Exploiting novel microfluidic liquid handling technology developed at CSEM, the aim of this collaboration is to replace all manual steps and to design, manufacture, and test an automated and fully integrated IVD device.

“Our collaboration with TheraMe! has been a fantastic journey, evolving from two initial industrial projects into a major Innosuisse-funded initiative.” says Baris Atakan, who has served as the project manager across the above-mentioned projects in collaboration with TheraMe! and is currently a Senior R&D engineer at CSEM. “Together, we’re harnessing the power of cell microsystems to redefine biomonitoring and diagnostics, bringing their microfluidic technology closer to clinical application. By automating complex drug testing directly on patient-derived tumor cells, we’re transforming what used to be a labor-intensive process into a streamlined, precise workflow that delivers rapid results. This partnership showcases how industry and research, working together, can advance diagnostics and make impactful innovations more accessible for routine clinical use.”

Fully integrated instrument for automation and monitoring

TheraMe! contacted CSEM to develop a device concept and associated labware for parallelized pressure-driven flow. The goal was to simplify the previous prototype and to establish a more user-friendly instrument. CSEM developed prototypes for a 4-channel labware and associated lid capable of feeding 4-liquid lines, individually controlled, with a maximum pressure of 2 bars. The proof-of-concept lid was established experimentally using the droplet generator chip developed by TheraMe! and a 4-line test protocol. The flow is regulated by the existing TheraMe! instrument, using gas pressure controllers with in-line flow sensors for each liquid line connected to the chip.

In a second phase, TheraMe! showed interest in extending the proof-of-concept device to a 24-well labware format and to assess possible improvement points targeting mechanical sealing, implementation of mixing/stirring features in one well, reservoir heating and cooling, liquid level tracking, flow control and fabrication of reservoir strips. The prototypes, which were able to hold up to a pressure of 2 bars, were evaluated at CSEM for leakage rates and maximal pressure ranges before being transferred to TheraMe!.

A perfect example to the megatrend bioconvergence

The term ‘bioconvergence’ describes the interdisciplinary collaboration between different fields of science and technology. Disciplines like biology, engineering and digitalization are coming together to lift health care and life sciences to the next level. This megatrend is expected to open the door for innovative solutions for personalized healthcare and pharmaceutical research. The collaboration between CSEM and TheraMe! takes precisely place at the intersection of life sciences and engineering.

Interested in finding out more? Please consult Revolutionize biotech & pharma with Tools for Life Sciences and get in touch with us at info@csem.ch.

About TheraMe!

TheraMe! a medtech spinoff from EPFL is at the forefront of advancing cancer treatment. Founded in 2023, the start-up provides personalized cancer therapy recommendation before treatment starts. It employs proprietary microfluidic technologies to test the efficacy of cancer drugs on freshly isolated patients' tumor cells to determine the best therapy for each patient. The start-up’s journey is rooted in over a decade of academic research conducted in collaboration with a multinational consortium. This solid foundation drives our commitment to revolutionize cancer therapy through state-of-the-art microfluidic technology. Internationally renowned experts and university professors in the fields of microfluidics, bioinformatics and clinical oncology work together at TheraMe!, to identify the very best treatment option for any cancer patient, at any stage of the disease! www.thera-me.ch