Our Technology

Joule Therapeutics proprietary photosensitizer (PS) technology is activated by deeper-penetrating light and exhibits improved cancer targeting specificity compared to other PSs in the clinic, which is expected to yield enhanced safety and efficacy. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) either as standalone or combination therapy for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and head & neck cancers as its initial therapeutic indications, and the technology is applicable to multiple cancers including lung, skin, and head & neck cancers.

Fluorescent dyes like cyanine (Cy⁺) offer great potential as both diagnostic and therapeutic agents to better visualize tumors and improve cancer diagnoses, assist with image-guided surgery, and specifically kill tumor cells in PDT. Despite this promise, the use of Cy⁺ in PDT has been limited by undesired off-target effects, poor water solubility and tissue penetration, and low quantum yield (the ratio of activated molecules to the amount of energy absorbed). To overcome these limitations, Joule Therapeutics developed a proprietary platform technology for advanced PS design that, unlike existing PSs, pairs near-infrared (NIR)-responsive polymethine Cy⁺ cations with complex anions. The dual nature of these cyanine-based photosensitizers (CyPS) allows for the independent control of the absorption wavelength and phototoxicity, fine-tuning their efficacy against different cancer types. The cyanine dye itself is activated by deep-penetrating NIR light, which, compared to visible light used to activate existing PSs that penetrate only a few millimeters into tissue, can penetrate up to 3 cm to target deeper-seated tumors.

Novel CyPSs developed by Joule Therapeutics demonstrate superior PDT in several cancer models, including breast and head & neck cancers, and they offer multimodal activation with deeper penetration over state-of-the-art, FDA-approved photosensitizers with the potential for fewer off-target effects.