Member Profile: Faron Pharmaceuticals – A Finnish Innovation at the Forefront of Immunotherapy

Faron Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company from Turku, Finland, developing next-generation immunotherapies for the treatment of aggressive cancers. The company was founded in 2007 based on immunological research at the University of Turku, where scientists identified Clever-1 – a previously untapped receptor in the immune system. Faron’s lead compound, bexmarilimab, was developed to target this receptor.

Immunotherapy is a form of cancer treatment that activates the patient’s own immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. Unlike traditional chemotherapy, which relies on cytotoxic agents, immunotherapy enhances the body’s natural defenses. The goal is to direct the immune system to effectively fight cancer, often with greater precision and fewer side effects than toxic treatments. Immunotherapy can lead to long-lasting responses even in hard-to-treat cases and may improve quality of life. However, currently approved immunotherapies are only effective in about a quarter of cancer patients.

Macrophage Reprogramming – A New Mode of Action in Immunotherapy

Faron’s approach differs from existing immunotherapies that focus on T-cells. Instead, bexmarilimab acts on macrophages – immune cells that can suppress the body’s defenses and support tumor growth, both in blood cancers and solid tumors. By blocking the Clever-1 receptor, bexmarilimab “reprograms” these cells to support, rather than inhibit, the immune response. This enhances T-cell access to the tumor and boosts the immune system’s ability to destroy cancer cells.

Bexmarilimab Shows Promise in Deadly Blood Cancer

In clinical studies, Faron has investigated bexmarilimab in the treatment of high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a malignant blood disorder where the bone marrow fails to produce enough functional blood cells. This results in anemia, vulnerability to infections, and increased bleeding risk. High-risk MDS can progress to acute leukemia and is almost always fatal. When first-line treatments like azacitidine fail, patients are left with few options.

In addition to MDS, bexmarilimab has also been studied in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and in early-stage studies of solid tumors such as gastric cancer, hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, and melanoma. Future studies aim to expand the use of bexmarilimab especially to solid tumor patients who do not respond to current immunotherapies (e.g., sarcoma, breast cancer, immunotherapy-resistant non-small cell lung cancer, and melanoma).

Strong Phase II Results Pave the Way for Phase III

At the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting, Faron presented Phase II results from a study combining bexmarilimab with azacitidine in 53 high-risk MDS patients. The results were highly encouraging:

• Median overall survival among relapsed patients was 13.4 months – more than double the current expected survival (5–6 months).

• Response rates were high: 63% of relapsed and 72% of first-line patients achieved a clinical response.

• A complete clinical response (cCR) was achieved in 56% of first-line patients.

• The treatment was well tolerated: only one-third of patients experienced side effects related to bexmarilimab, and no bexmarilimab-related deaths were reported.

  
  

A Bridge to Potential Cure – Enabling Stem Cell Transplantation

The study also found that bexmarilimab not only improved response rates and survival but allowed some patients to proceed to stem cell transplantation – the only known curative treatment for MDS. This means bexmarilimab can serve as an effective “bridge therapy” toward long-term remission.

Petri Bono

“Long-lasting responses – even three years treatment duration– show the drug’s potential for long-term benefit,” says Faron’s Chief Medical Officer, Petri Bono.

Exceptional Global Interest

Bexmarilimab has attracted unusually high international interest. Several of the world’s leading cancer centers have proactively contacted Faron to participate in the upcoming Phase III study. Typically, drug developers must seek out research partners, but in this case, the hospitals reached out themselves. This underscores the scientific credibility and clinical promise of bexmarilimab.

From Finland to the World

Faron is now preparing for a Phase III study in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The goal is to bring bexmarilimab to market through an accelerated approval process and offer a new, effective treatment option for patients no longer helped by current therapies.

The company’s headquarters remain in Turku, and its core operations are built on top-tier Finnish life science research. At the same time, its network spans some of the world’s leading cancer research centers – a true example of Finnish science with global impact.