Vanquish Oncology
Champaign, US · Founded 2011 · Delaware corporation · 1 known investors
Drug development company creating small-molecule procaspase-3 activators as targeted oncology therapeutics.
Also known as Vanquish Oncology Inc.
Founders & leadership
Vanquish Oncology was founded in 2011 by Paul Hergenrother.
Board
Investors · 1
Reported raises · per SEC filings
Form D private placements$6.9M disclosed across 4 of 6 rounds · 2011–2020
▶$500KraisedJul 2020 · 1 investors · BiotechnologyRule 506(b)
- Ted TarasowExecutive Officer, Director
- Billie Jo HerbergerDirector
- Paul HergenrotherDirector
- Judd HerbergerDirector
- Offering amount
- $3M
- Amount sold
- $500K
- Minimum investment
- $50K
- First sale
- Jun 2020
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$1MraisedJun 2019 · 1 investors · BiotechnologyRule 506(b)
- BILLIE JO HERBERGERDirector
- TED TARASOWExecutive Officer, Director
- PAUL HERGENROTHERDirector
- JUDD HERBERGERDirector
- Amount sold
- $1M
- Minimum investment
- $50K
- First sale
- Jun 2019
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$1.1MraisedFeb 2016 · 2 investors · BiotechnologyRule 506(b)
- Paul HergenrotherExecutive Officer, Director
- Ted TarasowExecutive Officer, Director
- Ron WayDirector
- Billie Jo HerbergerDirector
- Judd HebergerDirector
- Offering amount
- $7.3M
- Amount sold
- $1.1M
- Minimum investment
- $10K
- Sales commissions
- $50K
- Proceeds to insiders
- $50K
- Placement agents
- Ron Way
- First sale
- Feb 2016
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2011
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$4.4MraisedApr 2014 · 3 investors · BiotechnologyRule 506(b)
- Paul HergenrotherExecutive Officer, Director
- Ron WayDirector
- Ted TarasowExecutive Officer, Director
- Offering amount
- $4.8M
- Amount sold
- $4.4M
- Minimum investment
- $25K
- Finders' fees
- $200K
- Proceeds to insiders
- $200K
- Placement agents
- Ron Way
- First sale
- Mar 2013
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2011
- Federal exemptions
- 06b, 4a5
Source: SEC EDGAR Form D. Amounts as filed; amended filings shown once at their latest values.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Vanquish Oncology Inc. is a drug development company focused on targeting molecular defects in cancer cells to create first-in-class, personalized small-molecule therapeutics for unmet or underserved cancer markets. Its lead effort is the proprietary Procaspase-3 Activation (P3A) program, which selectively triggers cancer cell death by activating procaspase-3, a late-stage effector of apoptosis. The pipeline includes first- and second-generation procaspase activators as well as combination products, all directed at oncology applications.
The most advanced compound is PAC-1 (also designated VO-100), an orally administered candidate. The company reports preclinical efficacy, DMPK and toxicity data on several P3A compounds, and states that PAC-1 has shown efficacy in murine xenograft and experimental metastasis models of lung and renal cancer, tolerability in rodents and canines across administration routes, and blood-brain-barrier penetration relevant to primary CNS cancers and brain metastases. Vanquish conducted preclinical, IND-enabling CMC and pharmacology/toxicology activities for PAC-1, and a Phase 1 clinical trial in human cancer patients began in 2015, listed on clinicaltrials.gov.
Founding story
The company was founded in 2011 by Professor Paul J. Hergenrother of the University of Illinois, in whose laboratory the procaspase-3 activation technology was invented, together with Mike Handley and Ted Tarasow of Level 5 Partners. Vanquish holds a worldwide license from the University of Illinois covering the small-molecule procaspase-3 activating technology developed in the Hergenrother lab. Initial seed funding of $250,000 came from Illinois Ventures, followed by a $2 million angel round.
Business model
Vanquish develops proprietary oncology drug candidates in-house under a worldwide license from the University of Illinois, operating a capital-efficient virtual model that leverages contract research and manufacturing organizations to minimize infrastructure and overhead.
Traction
Preclinical efficacy, DMPK and toxicity datasets across multiple P3A compounds; IND-enabling CMC and pharmacology/toxicology work completed for PAC-1; a Phase 1 trial in human cancer patients initiated in 2015 and listed on clinicaltrials.gov.
Latest developments
A Phase 1 clinical trial of PAC-1 in human cancer patients began in 2015 and was listed on clinicaltrials.gov.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography
Market position
Vanquish positions itself as developing the first procaspase-3 activator for oncology applications, a mechanism it describes as previously unexploited.
Technology
The core technology is the Procaspase-3 Activation (P3A) program: a series of small molecules that induce apoptosis by proteolytically converting inactive procaspase-3 into the executioner caspase, caspase-3. Because procaspase-3 levels are aberrantly elevated in many tumor types relative to normal cells, the company argues the mechanism is selective for cancer, including cells whose intrinsic (p53-restricted) and extrinsic (reduced procaspase-8) apoptotic pathways are damaged. Vanquish reports data from paired normal/tumor colon tissue and from cell lines spanning lung, breast, melanoma, adrenal, renal, lymphoma, leukemia and neuroblastoma cancers correlating cellular procaspase-3 levels with apoptosis induction by P3A compounds. Lead compound PAC-1/VO-100 is blood-brain-barrier penetrant, with current work focused on oral administration and combination regimens intended to improve therapeutic index.
Go-to-market
Patients and treating oncologists in unmet or underserved cancer indications, including primary CNS tumors and cancers that metastasize to the brain, as well as solid tumors such as lung and renal cancer.
Geography
Headquartered at 2001 S. First St., Suite 201, Champaign, Illinois, USA, with close ties to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; the University of Illinois license is worldwide in scope.
Compiled by commissioned research from 6 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.
Competitors · 1
by search overlap
Companies competing with Vanquish Oncology for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
Timeline · 4
launches, deals, and filingsA Phase I clinical trial of lead procaspase-3 activator PAC-1 (VO-100) in human cancer patients began in 2015 and was listed on clinicaltrials.gov.
Vanquish closed a $2 million angel round of investment, directed toward development of a procaspase-3 activator for oncology applications.
$2M source ↗
The company received initial seed funding of $250K from Illinois Ventures.
$250K source ↗
Vanquish obtained a worldwide license from the University of Illinois covering the small-molecule procaspase-3 activating technology developed in Professor Paul Hergenrother's laboratory.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
Legal entities · 1
corporate structure▸Research sources · 6
primary sources listed
- Vanquish Oncologyvanquishoncology.com · web
6 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Vanquish Oncology do?
- Drug development company creating small-molecule procaspase-3 activators as targeted oncology therapeutics.
- Who founded Vanquish Oncology?
- Vanquish Oncology was founded by Paul Hergenrother in 2011.
- Who are Vanquish Oncology's investors?
- Vanquish Oncology's investors include Illinois Ventures.
- How much funding has Vanquish Oncology raised?
- Vanquish Oncology has disclosed $6.9M raised across 4 of its 6 known rounds.
- Where is Vanquish Oncology headquartered?
- Vanquish Oncology is headquartered in Champaign, US.