Unirisco and Xesgalicia invest in Batea Oncology

Unirisco and Xesgalicia participate in Batea Oncology funding round to advance clinical development of a pioneering medical device for Glioblastoma

Unirisco and Xesgalicia have announced their entry into the shareholder base of Batea Oncology, a biotechnology company founded in 2024 with the support of the Clinical University Hospital and the Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela. The company focuses on researching and developing new technologies for the treatment of oncological diseases, with a particular focus on Glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor in urgent need of new therapeutic solutions.

Batea Oncology has developed GlioHook, an innovative medical device implanted during surgery that captures residual tumor cells responsible for relapse and makes them more sensitive to standard radiotherapy. The company aims to transform the treatment paradigm for glioblastoma patients, with a pilot clinical trial planned for 2026.

The funding round will support the manufacturing of the device under GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) standards, preclinical biocompatibility and toxicity testing by certified independent entities, and obtaining authorization from the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS) to start patient trials in 2026. Batea Oncology was selected in 2024 by the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) under its IMPACT program and holds both the IEBT certification and ENISA backing.

Glioblastoma treatment has remained unchanged since 2005, following surgery with adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy (the Stupp protocol), with a median survival of 15 months from diagnosis. Despite extensive research into new therapies, none have efficiently reached clinical practice, partly due to the difficulty of crossing the blood-brain barrier. GlioHook offers significant competitive advantages: it enhances disease targeting, improves radiotherapy effectiveness, and integrates easily into routine clinical practice, bridging the therapeutic gap between surgery and the start of radiotherapy.

The Batea Oncology team combines strong clinical expertise with a broad scientific and research base and proven experience in startup creation and management. It includes cancer researchers and glioblastoma animal model specialists, oncologists, neurologists, neurosurgeons, medical device regulatory experts, and entrepreneurs with strategic and operational experience, bringing together all the skills necessary to translate this technology into a real therapeutic option for glioblastoma patients.

From Unirisco, the team highlights: “We are investing in Batea Oncology because it has an exceptionally professional and scientific team that has made significant advances toward solutions for a highly challenging pathology like glioblastoma. This investment opens new treatment avenues and we trust it will improve the quality of life for patients facing this disease.”