Bad blood, bad drugs or sheer bad luck. In this episode of Lune Podcast, we dive into Tessa Therapeutics, once the poster child of Singapore's biotech startup ecosystem up until 2023 when its abrupt closure shocked many. Let's uncover the secrets behind this miracle company, and the real back-story to why it had to close despite USD$250 million raise.

• Tcell Cancer Therapy (0:55)
• Tessa's products (2:28)
• Tessa's journey (4:35)
• Why it failed (8:33)

Useful Links:

• Tessa's fund raising: https://tracxn.com/d/companies/tessa/__-IRf7abUtF2MA7dYpCc6NFYZrKYkJ17678AGloiDatw

• FDA RMAT designation for TT11 in 2020: https://bioinformant.com/tessa-therapeutics-rmat/
• TT11X Clinical Trial Results 2022: https://www.biospace.com/tessa-therapeutics-announces-new-clinical-data-from-phase-1-allogeneic-study-presented-at-2022-annual-meeting-of-american-society-of-hematology-ash
• Merck Collaboration 2019: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tessa-therapeutics-announces-collaboration-with-merck-investigating-the-combination-of-keytruda-pembrolizumab-and-virus-specific-t-cell-therapy-targeting-human-papillomavirus-in-cervical-cancer-300832067.html
• Tessa's major pivot in 2023: https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/tessa-plucks-new-years-resolutions-shelf-leaving-phase-2-autologous-med-2022
• Cost of drug development: https://www.knowledgeportalia.org/costs-r-d

In this episode of Lune Podcast, I covered the top 5 biomedical startups in Singapore.

While Singapore has less than 100 biomedical startups currently, the following start-ups have managed spectacular milestones and achievements in recent years and are poised to become the next big thing in Singapore and beyond!

1. Hummingbird Bioscience (2:25)
2. Engine Bioscience (4:38)
3. MiRXES (6:27)
4. Lucence (7:29)
5. Albatroz Therapeutics (9:07)

Links:

• Hummingbird: https://hummingbirdbioscience.com/
• Engine: https://www.enginebio.com/
• MiRXES: https://mirxes.com/
• Lucence: https://www.lucence.com/
• Albatroz Therapeutics: https://www.albatroztherapeutics.com/

Do you know that there are some uniquely Singapore way of getting money for start-ups based in Singapore? This episode talks about how money can be raised especially to support new and early-stage start-ups!

1. StartupSG Founder Grant (2:30)
2. Temasek Foundation Grant (4:00)
3. StartupSG Tech Grant (5:20)
4. Institutional Specific Grants (7:00)

Useful Links:

• Top locations for start-ups in 2024: https://www.startupblink.com/blog/global-startup-ecosystem-trends-in-2024/
• Startup SG Tech fund: https://www.startupsg.gov.sg/programmes/4897/startup-sg-tech
• Startup SG Founder fund: https://www.startupsg.gov.sg/programmes/4894/startup-sg-founder
• Temasek Foundation Fund: https://www.temasekfoundation.org.sg/grant-calls

This episode of Lune brings you the story of Singapore's first biomedical unicorn that was crowned in May 2025!

Helpful Links:
qPCR WalkThrough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu4s3Hbc_bwqPCR (real-time PCR) protocol explained

Lune is a podcast aimed at bringing the stories and works of biomedical start-ups, primarily based in Singapore, to the world. This is an introduction trailer. Stay tuned and feel free to leave any comments!

~The intersection of two circles of unequal radii forms a Lune~