A biotech company from the San Francisco Bay Area, Cartography Biosciences, has announced that it has raised $67 million to help develop its first drug and start testing it on humans. This drug, called CBI-1214, is designed to treat the most common type of colorectal cancer. The company plans to start recruiting patients for its first human study early next year. Drugs like CBI-1214, which can attach to multiple targets in the body, have become more popular in recent years due to their success in treating blood cancers, eye diseases, and hemophilia. Now, they are being explored for use in other areas, such as inflammatory diseases and solid tumors. Cartography Biosciences was founded five years ago by former Stanford University researcher Kevin Parker. The company aims to create cancer drugs that can target tumors more precisely than existing treatments. One area they are focusing on is colorectal tumors, which are the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. Parker notes that treatment options for patients with the most common form of colorectal cancer, called ‘microsatellite stable’, are limited to mostly chemotherapy or targeted drugs. These treatments don’t work well for many patients. Parker believes that CBI-1214 may have better success because it can draw immune cells to a tumor, turning an ‘immunologically cold’ tumor into a ‘hot’ one. This approach has been used successfully in certain cases before, such as in uveal melanoma and small cell lung cancer. In colorectal cancer, Cartography is using CBI-1214 to recruit T cells to a target called LY6G6D. This protein is uniquely found on colorectal tumors, according to Parker. Roche is also developing a drug called linclatamig for this target, but Parker claims that CBI-1214 may impact a broader set of colorectal tumors and induce a more potent T cell response. Cartography is also working on other early programs for solid tumors, one of which is also a T cell engager. Last year, the company partnered with Gilead Sciences to develop treatments for triple-negative breast cancer and adenocarcinoma, receiving $20 million in upfront cash as part of the collaboration. More than a dozen firms, led by Pfizer Ventures, contributed to Cartography’s venture round. Michael Baran, a partner at Pfizer Ventures, expressed excitement about supporting Cartography’s progress in bringing potential new treatments to patients.