RFU Helix 51 Incubator Company Receives Illinois Innovation Voucher Grant Award for Cancer-Drug Development

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., Jan. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- UP Oncolytics, a biotech company in Rosalind Franklin University's Helix 51 biomedical incubator, was awarded an Illinois Innovation Voucher grant for $75,000 for its collaboration with Rosalind Franklin University (RFU). UP Oncolytics is developing a novel treatment for Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), the most aggressive form of malignant brain cancer.

GBM is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men under 40 in the United States. Approximately 13,000 new cases of GBM are diagnosed annually. The median survival time for patients is about 14 months, and the five-year survival rate remains at only 7.1%. No new therapeutic agents have received approval in the U.S. in the past 20 years.

Established by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and administered by the Illinois Science & Technology Coalition (ISTC) to support collaborations between Illinois universities and small businesses, the grant will help UP Oncolytics complete Investigational New Drug (IND) experiments at RFU's research labs for its initial candidate to treat GBM.

"We are grateful to ISTC and Illinois DCEO for this recognition and award, which will provide vital support to the development of a new therapy for this devastating form of brain cancer," said UP Oncolytics CEO Richard Rovin, MD, who is a neurosurgeon. "I am hopeful there will be an effective treatment in the near future for the patients afflicted by this disease."

"ISTC and Illinois DCEO are providing important support to an exciting early-stage cancer biotech company, which promises new therapeutic treatment options," said Joseph DiMario, PhD, RFU's executive vice president for research. "We are proud to be assisting UP Oncolytics in the development of this novel therapy for this terrible fatal disease."

UP Oncolytics completed an exclusive license agreement for this novel therapy based on an oncolytic virus from Advocate Health in 2025. It was awarded an NIH SBIR Fast Track grant for this technology and FDA Orphan Drug designation for malignant gliomas, a broader group of brain cancers including GBM. The company expanded its oncology expertise with new board members Dr. Gary Gordon, a Johns Hopkins-trained oncologist and former vice president of clinical oncology at AbbVie, and Michael Rosen, a former oncology biotech CEO and executive with Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Searle.

About Rosalind Franklin University

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science is committed to serving the global population through the interprofessional education of health and biomedical professionals and the discovery of knowledge dedicated to improving wellness. Founded in Chicago in 1912, RFU embodies the spirit of inquiry and excellence modeled by its namesake Dr. Rosalind Franklin, whose Photo 51 was crucial to solving the structure of DNA. Recognized for its research in the areas of neuroscience, brain related diseases, inherited disorders, diabetes, obesity, and gait and balance, the university includes Chicago Medical School, College of Health Professions, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine, and the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Learn more at rosalindfranklin.edu.

About UP Oncolytics: uponc.com

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