Tenboron Oy Receives Significant €7.6 Million EU Funding for Clinical Development of Boron Carriers for BNCT Cancer Treatment

PRESS RELEASE

Helsinki, 17 March 2026 – Tenboron Oy, a Finnish biotech company developing novel boron carriers, has received a positive funding decision from the European Union Horizon Europe Health 2025 programme for Phase 1 and 2 clinical studies of its TB0010 boron carrier for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT). The total value of the funding is €7.6 million, and it is provided entirely as a non-dilutive grant. The Horizon Health 2025 programme aims to accelerate early-stage clinical research for promising health innovations and to support the development of new therapeutic approaches across Europe. 

Tenboron has assembled a strong international consortium for the project, including the BNCT research group led by Professor Ignacio Porras from the University of Granada (Spain), and The Swallows, a UK-based patient organization for head and neck cancer. The funding will be used for Phase 1 and 2 BNCT studies of the TB0010 boron carrier in patients with recurrent head and neck cancer, as well as preparatory activities for the studies. The aim is to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of the TB0010-BNCT in patients. Patients will receive neutron irradiation in addition to the TB0010 carrier, enabling for the first time evaluation of the therapeutic benefit of BNCT using this carrier. 

Juha Jouhki, Chief Executive Officer of Tenboron said: “We are extremely pleased with the funding we have received from this highly competitive program. Independent experts assessed our project as being of exceptionally high quality, which is a significant recognition of our long-term efforts in developing boron carriers for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy. Our mission is to help build a European BNCT ecosystem, and both our consortium and clinical development plan strongly support this goal. We believe BNCT will offer new treatment options for several hard-to-treat cancers in the future.” 

Professor Ignacio Porras from the University of Granada said: “The University of Granada has been one of the leading academic centres advancing BNCT research in Europe for many years, and we are very pleased to contribute our clinical and scientific expertise to this Horizon Europe project. This international collaboration brings together academia, industry and patient organisations enabling the building of a strong European BNCT ecosystem. Partnerships like this are essential to translate scientific innovation into new treatment options for patients.” 

Chris Curtis, Chief Executive Officer of The Swallows Head & Neck Cancer Charity, said: “For patients living with recurrent head and neck cancer, new treatment options are urgently needed. This important European investment in research offers real hope that innovative therapies such as BNCT could improve outcomes in the future. We are proud that the patient voice will be represented through The Swallows as part of this international collaboration.” 

About Tenboron Oy 

Tenboron Oy is a Finnish clinical-stage biotechnology company developing boron carriers for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) of cancer. BNCT is targeted radiotherapy that can destroy tumours in just one to two treatment sessions while sparing healthy tissues. Boron present in the tumour reacts with neutron radiation destroying cancer cells. 

Boron carriers are a critical component of BNCT, as they determine the treatment’s efficacy, precision, and safety. BNCT has shown promising clinical results particularly in recurrent head and neck cancer. With next-generation boron carriers, BNCT has the potential to be expanded to other cancers. 

Tenboron focuses on the development of boron carriers and engaging in clinical collaboration with hospitals equipped with neutron accelerators. The company’s pipeline includes three boron carriers: TB0010, currently in clinical development for head and neck cancer, as well as two preclinical candidates – an improved BPA formulation, and a peptide boron carrier targeting brain tumours.