Cancer remains one of the most threatening health conditions in the world, being difficult to manage for both patients as well as their families. Despite decades of medical research in oncology, most treatment regimens are long and expensive. This places them out of reach for the majority of cancer patients, especially in developing countries such as India—where at least 15 lakh people suffer from cancers.

The standard treatment options, radiology and chemotherapy, have several side effects that can lower the quality of life even in successful cases. But what if curing cancer could be as simple as taking a flu vaccine? This was the idea that first inspired Nucleovir Therapeutics of IISER Pune, Maharashtra.

Founded in 2024 by three PhD researchers—Drs. Yogesh Ostwal, Ayush Ranawade, and Sunil Kapgate—this startup is manufacturing viruses that can target cancer cells while leaving normal cells completely unharmed. Using a combination of artificial intelligence and cancer biology research, it is working on eliminating two of the most devastating cancer types without compromising patient wellbeing.

How does the technology work?

Normally, when any foreign body enters the human bloodstream, the host’s immune system detects it and marks it for attack. Cancer cells survive by evading these detection mechanisms. However, certain viruses—called oncolytic viruses—have the ability to undo this detection, thus making cancerous cells vulnerable to the host’s natural defenses. These viruses can also target and destroy cancer cells on their own.

Medical research has enabled scientists to manipulate such viruses and engineer new varieties in laboratories. This process used to take years, but with the advent of advanced AI algorithms, it can be achieved within months or even weeks. 

Nucleovir’s ONCOVIR project does precisely this. Its workflow begins with specifying the target cancer type and providing a tumor profile to its AI model. Over a few weeks, using different molecular combinations, the AI model designs 50–100 viruses that could potentially target the specified cancer cells. Next, the generated viruses are tested using predictive modeling and molecular dynamics simulations. Finally, real scientists test them in real-world wet laboratories, and the best performing virus is chosen for medical use.

Currently, the startup is focusing on viruses that can target glioblastoma multiforme (an aggressive brain cancer) and pancreatic cancer. The objective is to produce vaccines that can treat these diseases in a matter of mere days. 

Who are the startup’s partners?

Soon after its launch in 2024, Nucleovir received a non-dilutive grant from Emergent Ventures. Next, in 2025, the Indian Department of Biotechnology provided it with a Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) grant. The startup’s first private venture capital round was announced in early 2026, drawing investment from Indian firms such as SpecialeInvest and Sunicon Ventures. The next step in terms of financial planning would be to raise series A funding.

Nucleovir’s ~5000 sq m research facility, provided with the help of the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), is located in the IISER Pune campus. The startup was incubated by the AIC-SEED program. 

Partners who provide computational infrastructure support include the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), AWS, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Nvidia. 

Where is Nucleovir in its journey?

Nucleovir is still in the preclinical stage of drug development and is planning its first animal trials. During these trials, it will test its novel anti-glioblastoma virus. Should these be successful and it receive confirmation for clinical trials, the next step will include human tests. 

As the first licensed manufacturer of oncolytic viruses in India, the startup has already received recognition from both the Indian government as well as the larger health tech ecosystem. It secured its 2025 BIRAC funding by emerging as one of the top five winners at the Bio AI Hub program. The same year, it was recognized at a pitch-to-pharma competition hosted by the leading AI solutions company UST. 

How can policy support this innovation?

The primary barrier to entry for startups such as Nucleovir is not technological but rather structural. Securing regulatory approval can take months in India, with multiple rounds of paperwork delaying the transition from product research to implementation. Exchanging research materials with foreign partners is also subject to heavy oversight, meaning that small businesses without high capital face bottlenecks even while refining their solutions. For health startups, the entity responsible for regulation, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, could provide support by digitizing approvals processes.

The second barrier identified by Nucleovir is a dearth of access to capital. Health technology can take a long time to yield profits but require high levels of initial investment. One potential solution for this could be to list health startups on the Indian stock exchange, thereby inviting funds from the public—and bringing the country one step closer to eliminating cancer.