HiberCell
25 employees on LinkedIn · 3 known investors
HiberCell develops therapeutic candidates targeting the Integrated Stress Response pathway to address treatment-resistant cancers, relapse, and metastasis. The company focuses on cancer patients who have experienced treatment resistance through novel drug development approaches.
Also known as Hibercell Inc · HiberCell, Inc.
Founders & leadership
Investors · 3
Company profile
researched Aug 2026HiberCell is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapeutic candidates that target adaptive stress pathways in cancer, in particular the integrated stress response (ISR) and the unfolded protein response (UPR). The company's stated premise is that tumors which resist treatment, relapse, or metastasize commonly rely on these adaptive stress pathways, and that the resulting stressed state also creates vulnerabilities that can be therapeutically exploited. Two complementary approaches are pursued: inhibiting stress-mitigating pathways and, conversely, hyperactivating stress signaling to overwhelm those pathways and induce apoptosis [0][1].
The disclosed clinical-stage pipeline comprises HC-7366, a first-in-human candidate designed to activate the General Control Nonderepressible 2 (GCN2) kinase, a central node in ISR signaling, and HC-5404, a first-in-human candidate designed to inhibit PKR-like Endoplasmic Reticulum Kinase (PERK), a central node in the UPR [0][1]. A secondary source additionally describes odetiglucan, an innate immune modulator, as being in Phase 2, and characterizes the company as pursuing first-in-class therapies that modulate adaptive stress pathways and anti-tumor immunity [3]. HC-7366 is being evaluated in a Phase 1b study in combination with WELIREG (belzutifan) in advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), and preclinical work has examined HC-7366 combined with VEGFR-TKIs in ccRCC [0][1].
In 2021 HiberCell broadened beyond therapeutics discovery by acquiring Genuity Science, Inc., adding human genomics and multi-omic analytics with an AI/machine-learning computational platform, together with datasets spanning cancer, cardiometabolic, autoimmune and neurological disorders. The transaction also brought existing partnership agreements with Ionis and AbbVie, and added Tom Chittenden (Chief Technology Officer), Jeff Gulcher (Chief Scientific Officer of Genomics) and Hákon Guðbjartsson (Chief Informatics Officer) to the leadership team [5].
Founding story
Sources indicate HiberCell was launched in 2019 with a USD 61 million Series A; Alan C. Rigby, previously a C-suite executive at Warp Drive Bio and Synta Pharmaceuticals, a senior executive at Eli Lilly, and a principal investigator and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, was Co-Founder, President and CEO [4]. Company statements describe the therapeutic programs as having been identified through mechanistic insight into the role of the adaptive stress phenotype in cancer patients [5].
Business model
HiberCell operates as a clinical-stage drug developer, advancing proprietary small-molecule therapeutic candidates through first-in-human and Phase 1b/2 clinical studies rather than selling commercial products. It has supplemented internal development with an acquisition that added genomics/AI analytics capabilities and inherited pharmaceutical partnership agreements with Ionis and AbbVie whose future earnouts were expected to support company growth [5]. It has also entered an exclusive development and option agreement with AVEO Oncology for a first-in-human compound [0][1].
No product revenue is described in the sources. Potential inflows referenced are future earnouts from the Ionis and AbbVie partnership agreements acquired with Genuity Science [5], and the exclusive development and option agreement with AVEO Oncology [0][1].
Traction
Two candidates, HC-7366 and HC-5404, have reached first-in-human clinical stage [0][1]. In May 2025 the company announced successful completion of dose escalation and an enrollment update for the Phase 1b study of HC-7366 with belzutifan in advanced ccRCC, and in May 2026 announced it would present preliminary Phase 1b results at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting [0][1]. Preclinical data on HC-7366 combined with VEGFR-TKIs in ccRCC were slated for presentation in April 2026 [0][1]. A secondary source reports odetiglucan in Phase 2 [3] and total funding of $67M as of July 2026 [3].
Latest developments
In November 2025 AVEO Oncology, an LG Chem company, and HiberCell entered an exclusive development and option agreement for a first-in-human compound. In April 2026 the company announced preclinical data showing enhanced antitumor activity of HC-7366 combined with VEGFR-TKIs in ccRCC, and in May 2026 announced it would present preliminary Phase 1b results for HC-7366 plus WELIREG (belzutifan) in late-line ccRCC at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting [0][1].
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
HiberCell is described as a clinical-stage biotechnology company in the biotechnology research industry, pursuing first-in-class therapies against stress-response kinases and anti-tumor innate immunity [3]. It positions its candidates as differentiated, first-in-human approaches to treatment resistance, relapse and metastasis [0][1]. Sources do not provide market share or comparative competitive data.
The company frames its candidates as differentiated, first-in-human agents acting on opposite ends of the same biological axis: inhibition of stress-mitigating signaling (PERK inhibitor HC-5404) versus hyperactivation of stress signaling (GCN2 activator HC-7366) [0][1]. The 2021 Genuity Science acquisition added genomics and AI/ML analytic capabilities intended to support biomarker validation and target identification alongside the therapeutic pipeline [5].
Technology
The company's therapeutic approach centers on modulating adaptive cellular stress pathways: HC-7366 activates the GCN2 kinase within the integrated stress response, while HC-5404 inhibits PERK within the unfolded protein response. The dual strategy is either to block stress-mitigating signaling to prevent cancer cell adaptation and survival, or to hyperactivate stress signaling to trigger apoptosis [0][1]. Through the Genuity Science acquisition, HiberCell added human genomics analytic technology, a computational platform, and genomic, multi-omic and deeply phenotyped datasets, applied with AI and machine learning to biomarker validation, comparison of primary tumors with paired metastatic lesions, and identification of precision oncology targets [5]. A secondary source describes a QuAD (Quantum Artificial Intelligence Drug Discovery and Development) platform [3].
Go-to-market
Development-stage clinical execution and partnering: the company advances candidates through company-sponsored trials, presents data at scientific meetings such as the ASCO Annual Meeting, and pursues collaboration and option agreements with pharmaceutical partners, for example the November 2025 exclusive development and option agreement with AVEO Oncology, an LG Chem company [0][1]. Combination strategies with approved agents such as WELIREG (belzutifan) and VEGFR-TKIs are a stated element of clinical development [0][1].
Cancer patients whose tumors resist treatment, relapse, or metastasize, with disclosed clinical work focused on advanced/late-line clear cell renal cell carcinoma [0][1]. Commercially, the company's counterparties are pharmaceutical partners for development and licensing collaborations [5][0].
Geography
The company's contact page lists headquarters at 2825 Fairview Ave. N., Roseville, Minnesota 55113, USA [2]. Corporate announcements in 2021 were datelined New York and Boston [5], and a third-party profile lists New York, United States and employees across North America, Africa and Europe [3]. Acquired subsidiaries Genuity Science (Iceland) ehf and Genuity Sciences (Ireland) Limited extend the footprint to Iceland and Ireland [5].
History
HiberCell was launched in 2019 with a USD 61 million Series A financing, co-founded by Alan C. Rigby, who served as Co-Founder, President and CEO [4]. In 2021 the company appointed Mark J. Mulvihill, Ph.D. as Chief Scientific Officer (June 2021) and Jonathan Lanfear as Chief Operating Officer (September 2021), and added Cindy Jacobs, PhD, MD to its board of directors (September 2021) [3]. In August 2021 HiberCell acquired Genuity Science, Inc. and its Iceland and Ireland subsidiaries as a wholly owned subsidiary, a stock transaction that provided approximately $100 million in cash plus Ionis and AbbVie partnership agreements [5]. A secondary source reports that under Rigby's guidance the company launched a QuAD (Quantum Artificial Intelligence Drug Discovery and Development) platform, reported February 2024 [3]. Rigby subsequently left to become CEO of Epitopea, announced July 2024 [4]. In 2025 the company reported completion of dose escalation in the HC-7366/belzutifan Phase 1b study and entered an exclusive development and option agreement with AVEO Oncology, an LG Chem company [0][1].
Risks & controversies
No controversies are reported in the sources. Standard development-stage risk is implied by the pipeline being entirely clinical-stage with no approved products [0][1][3]. Sources also show leadership turnover, including the departure of co-founder and CEO Alan C. Rigby to lead Epitopea, announced July 2024 [4]. Third-party data points (funding total, headcount, QuAD platform) come from an aggregator and are not corroborated by primary company sources [3].
Compiled by commissioned research from 7 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 10
launches, deals, and filingsHiberCell announced it will present preliminary results from the Phase 1b trial of GCN2 activator HC-7366 combined with belzutifan in late-line clear cell renal cell carcinoma.
Announcement of preclinical data demonstrating enhanced antitumor activity of HC-7366 in combination with VEGFR-TKIs in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.
HiberCell announced successful completion of dose escalation and provided an enrollment update for the Phase 1b study evaluating HC-7366 in combination with belzutifan in advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma.
Epitopea announced Alan C. Rigby, Co-Founder, President and CEO of HiberCell, as its new Chief Executive Officer.
Third-party aggregator reports HiberCell launched the QuAD drug discovery and development platform.
HiberCell appointed Jonathan Lanfear as chief operating officer with a focus on leading the company's emerging global reach.
Stock acquisition making Genuity Science, Inc. and its subsidiaries Genuity Science (Iceland) ehf and Genuity Sciences (Ireland) Limited wholly owned subsidiaries of HiberCell; the deal provided approximately $100 million in cash and existing partnership agreements with Ionis and AbbVie, and added genomics/multi-omic AI and ML analytics plus three executives (CTO Tom Chittenden, CSO of Genomics Jeff Gulcher, Chief Informatics Officer Hákon Guðbjartsson).
HiberCell appointed Mark J. Mulvihill, Ph.D. as Chief Scientific Officer, described as bringing more than 20 years of drug discovery and development experience focused on small molecule therapies.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 7
primary sources listed
- HiberCellhibercell.com · web
7 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does HiberCell do?
- Clinical-stage oncology biotech developing small molecules that target the integrated stress response to counter treatment resistance.
- Who founded HiberCell?
- HiberCell was founded by Julio Aguirre-Ghiso, Ph.D..
- Who are HiberCell's investors?
- HiberCell's investors include ARCH Venture Partners, Magnetic Ventures, Raptor Group.