Synthetically Engineered Bacteria for the Treatment of Solid Tumors
Saltikva® completed a Phase 2 clinical trial in Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, increasing median overall survival by 75% and progression-free survival by 162%* versus the historical standard of care.
- Lead program
- Saltikva® · stage 4 pancreatic cancer
- Stage
- Phase 2 complete · published 2026
- Route
- Oral
- Status
- Pending Phase III
From oral dose to tumor cell death.
Saltikva® is a synthetically engineered agent built on a Salmonella chassis, designed for efficacy and safety. Scroll to follow the seven steps of its proposed mechanism, based on preclinical studies.
- Step 01 · Oral Administration
Saltikva® is orally administered as a liquid suspension.
- Step 02 · Migration
Saltikva® migrates from the gut directly to solid tumors.
- Step 03 · Homing
They gather and grow inside solid tumors.
- Step 04 · Replication
Saltikva® replicates and produces active human IL-2 inside the tumor, designed to limit systemic exposure.
- Step 05 · Activate
Saltikva® stimulates the immune system to impart a tumor cell kill and also likely competes with the tumor for nutrients.
- Step 06 · Contact
An NK cell touches a tumor cell’s surface and releases toxic granules at the point of contact.
- Step 07 · Tumor Kill
A multifactorial approach imparts a tumor cell kill.
Why Saltikva®
Saltikva® is an orally administered investigational cancer therapy. No serious adverse event has been attributed to Saltikva® in clinical studies to date, and it has shown anti-cancer activity in multiple preclinical and clinical studies.
What we have measured.
- 22 patients with solid tumors that had spread to the liver
- No adverse event judged likely or definitely related to treatment
- Circulating NK cells rose from 12.1% to 14.6% five weeks after one dose (p=0.02)
One platform across solid tumors.
Hear from a patient.
A patient shares his perspective on Salspera's approach to treating solid tumors.
The team behind Saltikva®.
Salspera is privately held and privately funded. We work with expert consultants in clinical trial monitoring, regulatory affairs and trial design.
All bios →
Has founded or co-founded ten biotech companies over thirty years. PhD in organic chemistry and biotechnology, ETH Zürich.
Originator of the platform. Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics, University of Minnesota. 23 patents, more than 160 publications.
