OCTOBER 20, 2026 16:50

A biotechnology startup that is engineering the body immune response to fight cancer has earned Hebrew University 2026 Asper Prize as the leading entry in a contest highlighting new ventures from the campus community.

ViVac Pharma took the Hebrew University Rising Startup honor along with a NIS 100,000 prize for its RNA-based immunotherapies. Current efforts center on liver and ovarian cancers while the larger goal remains a flexible platform for solid tumor treatment.

The early-stage Israeli firm was launched by Prof. Chezy Barenholz of Hebrew University, who co-invented the landmark cancer therapy Doxil, and Dr. Lior Nissim, who leads the university Synthetic Biology Laboratory at the Faculty of Medicine. Under CEO Keren Leshem the company merges synthetic biology with engineered lipid nanoparticles that deliver genetic instructions into cells.

The aim is to render tumors visible to the immune system and trigger an attack. The approach draws on the natural immune reaction triggered by viral infection.

Innovative RNA technology: Directing the immune system against cancer

ViVac platform relies on redesigned viral genetic sequences to generate synthetic RNA replicons. These instructions are modified to limit replication. The company states the replicons recreate the immune-boosting impact of infection within a tumor without introducing a live virus.

The intended outcome is a joint response from immune cells and antibodies together with immune memory that may allow future recognition of cancer cells. These objectives form part of ongoing development; the prize acknowledges the venture potential rather than confirming clinical results.

For Nissim the research stems from a vision that reaches well beyond the contest.

I believe that our grandchildren grandchildren will recall this period with sadness and ask how cancer once claimed so many lives, he said.

Closing the divide: Moving academic research into practical applications

The yearly Asper Prize is run by ASPER-HUJI Innovate, Hebrew University Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, together with The Asper Foundation. It encourages entrepreneurship among students, faculty and alumni and assists promising firms in advancing from research toward market-ready businesses.

After careful evaluation six finalists presented to an international group from the university governing community. Joining ViVac Pharma were ATED Therapeutics with a blood test for Parkinson disease, HEQA Security focused on quantum-safe communications, Itay and Beyond using brain organoids and AI to test drug performance, Pickommerce AI Robotics building autonomous warehouse systems, and Plas-Free improving blood transfusion methods for major bleeding.

The entries illustrated a shared hurdle for research-driven startups: converting specialized knowledge into tools that meet real needs. Medical projects in particular must transform promising concepts into therapies whose results can be measured.

Supporting innovation for broad worldwide effect

Hebrew University President Prof. Tamir Sheafer noted that the finalists illustrated the wide scope of innovation underway at the institution.

These ventures illustrate how research ideas can grow into answers for some of the planet most pressing issues, he said.

This contest does more than pick a single winner. It recognizes the creativity, scientific rigor and entrepreneurial drive of our students, faculty, alumni and partners, and the university duty to help move that work outward.

The event also spotlights projects tied to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, linking commercial aims with potential contributions to broader social priorities.

Forward view: Next steps for ViVac cancer initiatives

For ViVac the award supplies funding while the team advances its technology and seeks expansion. The programmable design sits at the core of its goal to create an adaptable method for various solid tumors.

The work unites two biotechnology fields: crafting genetic instructions for a targeted biological effect and building delivery systems to transport those instructions to the right locations.

Gail Asper, trustee of The Asper Foundation and president of The Gail Asper Foundation, observed that the finalists displayed a shared resolve to apply bold technologies to major challenges.

Across medicine, cybersecurity, AI and robotics these entrepreneurs are not only creating strong technologies they are working to expand what can be achieved, she said. That mix of excellence, purpose and entrepreneurial drive is precisely what the Asper Prize was established to honor.

Dr. Amnon Dekel, executive director of ASPER-HUJI Innovate, likewise stressed the effort needed to move concepts past the laboratory.

The finalists of this year Asper Prize show what innovation ultimately means: taking ambitious ideas, deep scientific knowledge and technological skill and converting them into answers for real problems, he said.

For the winning company the coming phase will center on advancing its cancer programs. The Asper Prize supplies recognition and resources along that route. For the ViVac team the effort follows a clear purpose: enabling the immune system to detect and eliminate cancers that remain hard to treat.

This article was prepared in cooperation with The Hebrew University