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Key people at NanoCarry.
NanoCarry develops therapeutics leveraging bioengineered nanoparticles to overcome the Blood Brain Barrier, enabling the delivery of biologics to the brain. The company's multidisciplinary approach focuses on precision targeting and controlled release mechanisms to treat challenging neurological and oncological conditions. This technology addresses a critical limitation in medicine by facilitating access for powerful drugs that traditionally cannot cross the brain's protective barriers.
The company was founded in 2019 by Revital Mandil Levin, Rachela Popovtzer, and Oshra Betzer. Their foundational insight stemmed from the urgent need to deliver complex biological drugs, such as antibodies, directly to the brain. The founders recognized the immense potential of nanotechnology to breach this formidable biological defense, paving the way for innovative treatments.
NanoCarry targets patients suffering from brain cancers and various central nervous system diseases, where effective drug delivery remains a significant challenge. The company's vision is to establish a new paradigm for treating debilitating neurological disorders by providing safe and effective means to deliver a broad spectrum of therapeutics to the brain, ultimately improving patient outcomes and expanding treatment possibilities.
Key people at NanoCarry.
NanoCarry Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing nanoparticle-based therapeutics to deliver biologics across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) for brain cancers and CNS diseases.[1][2][3] Its proprietary AxS platform uses bioengineered gold nanoparticles to hitch therapeutics like antibodies to insulin, enabling a 50-fold increase in brain delivery with 8x payload capacity, targeting unmet needs in neuro-oncology and neurodegeneration.[1][4][5] The lead product, AxS-007, addresses HER2+ breast cancer brain metastases, where existing therapies fail due to BBB impermeability, while the pipeline expands to lung cancer metastases and neurodegenerative diseases.[1][3][6] NanoCarry serves patients with limited treatment options, pharma partners for co-development, and solves the core challenge that excludes ~99% of drugs from the brain despite ~100 approved antibodies for other indications.[2][4]
Founded in 2021 from Bar-Ilan University research, the company is advancing toward IND filing, with AxS-007 selected for NCI's Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory preclinical program to accelerate clinical trials.[3] Growth momentum includes lab validation in disease models, real-time imaging traceability, and a "plug & play" model for rapid therapeutic adaptation.[4][5]
NanoCarry emerged from over a decade of nanomedicine research at Prof. Rachela Popovtzer's nanoparticle lab at Bar-Ilan University's Faculty of Engineering in Israel.[1][3][5] Prof. Popovtzer, a global leader in nanomedicine, co-founded the company in 2021 alongside Dr. Oshra Betzer, who advanced the core technology during her doctoral and postdoctoral work under Popovtzer, and a third female co-founder, highlighting bold leadership in Israeli biotech.[1][3] The idea stemmed from solving medicine's urgent challenge: delivering large biologics like antibodies past the BBB, inspired by Popovtzer's gold nanoparticle innovations that leverage receptor-mediated transcytosis via insulin hitchhiking.[1][5]
Early traction built on extensive in-vivo studies in healthy animals, neurodegenerative models, and brain tumors, proving safe brain penetration and traceability via CT imaging.[5] A pivotal moment came in September 2024 when the NCI selected AxS-007 for its rigorous preclinical characterization program, partnering with NIST and FDA to fast-track IND-enabling studies and human trials.[3] Headquartered in Weizmann Science Park, Rehovot, Israel, NanoCarry transitioned swiftly from academic proof-of-concept to a pipeline-ready platform.[3][4][7]
NanoCarry stands out in brain therapeutics through its AxS platform, blending biology and nanotechnology for unprecedented BBB penetration:
These features address why only 1 of ~100 approved antibodies works for CNS diseases, positioning NanoCarry as a first-in-class enabler.[2][4]
NanoCarry rides the exploding demand for BBB-penetrating therapies amid rising brain cancer and CNS disease burdens, where BBB blocks 98-100% of biologics despite their peripheral efficacy.[1][2][4] Timing is ideal: HER2+ breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women, with brain metastases slashing survival due to failed treatments like Herceptin, while neurodegeneration lacks biologic options—NanoCarry extends proven antibodies to these "unreachable" sites.[1][3] Market forces favor it, including NCI/FDA acceleration, Israel's biotech ecosystem (e.g., Bar-Ilan roots), and pharma's push for CNS innovation via partnerships.[3][6][7]
The company influences the ecosystem by pioneering quantifiable, traceable nanodelivery, potentially unlocking infinite biologics for brain diseases and inspiring multidisciplinary convergence of nano-bioengineering.[2][5] Its female-led model signals shifts in innovation diversity, amplifying Israel's role in global nanomedicine.[1]
NanoCarry is primed for IND filing and Phase 1 trials with AxS-007 in 2025-2026, leveraging NCI data to target HER2+ brain metastases and expand via partnerships for lung cancer and neurodegeneration.[3][6] Trends like AI-driven nano-design, combo therapies, and CNS biologic surges will propel its plug & play platform, potentially yielding first-in-class approvals where others faltered.[4][5] Influence may evolve from academic spinout to pharma powerhouse, co-developing multidrug CNS regimens and redefining brain druggability.
From breaching the brain's defenses to life-saving reality, NanoCarry embodies scientific grit turning "impossible" delivery into patient wins.[1]
