Log inDiveRadGel Inc. Raises Funding to Accelerate Development of Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines
October. 02, 2026
DiveRadGel Inc. (DRG), a biotechnology startup spun out from Asahi Kasei’s Healthcare Materials Division, recently announced the successful completion of a financing round through a third-party allotment of shares to ANRI and Tohoku University Venture Partners.
The newly raised funds will be used to accelerate the research, preclinical development, and commercialization of DRG’s cancer vaccine platform based on its proprietary dendritic cell-targeting drug delivery system (DDS) technology. The funding will also support collaborative research and development initiatives with academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies both in Japan and internationally.
DRG is committed to developing innovative cancer immunotherapies capable of inducing potent and durable anti-tumor immune responses against difficult-to-treat cancers and ultimately bringing such diseases into remission. Looking ahead, the company aims to further advance its technology toward cancer vaccines that can prevent disease recurrence following treatment and, in the long term, help prevent the onset of cancer itself.
About DiveRadGel Inc.
DiveRadGel Inc. is a drug discovery startup established as a spinout from Asahi Kasei’s Healthcare Materials Division. Since its inception, the company has been dedicated to developing next-generation cancer immunotherapies based on a proprietary DDS platform utilizing Sonanos™, a hyaluronic acid nanogel technology currently being developed and manufactured by the Healthcare Materials Division.
DRG’s DDS technology is designed to deliver antigens administered subcutaneously to lymph nodes and efficiently target conventional type 1 dendritic cells, a key immune cell population responsible for initiating anti-tumor immune responses. By delivering antigens directly to the appropriate immune cells, the platform aims to effectively induce T-cell responses that recognize and eliminate cancer cells while establishing long-lasting anti-tumor immunity.
In preclinical studies, DRG’s cancer vaccine technology has demonstrated superior antitumor efficacy in models of difficult-to-treat solid tumors compared with both messenger RNA/lipid nanoparticle vaccines and conventional peptide vaccines. The technology has also shown promising results when combined with T-cell therapies, including complete tumor regression and immune responses associated with long-term protection against cancer recurrence.
DRG’s vision extends beyond providing an additional treatment option alongside existing therapies. The company seeks to develop transformative medicines capable of bringing refractory cancers into remission, preventing their recurrence after treatment, and ultimately contributing to the prevention of cancer development.