Hemispherian and the EIC Accelerator: A Brain Cancer Drug Trial

Hemispherian, founded in Oslo in 2020, develops GLIX1, an oral drug for glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive primary brain cancer. Its EIC project said glioblastoma patients usually die within 12 to 18 months, that GLIX1 was more effective than standard care at killing tumour cell lines, and that it caused tumour regression in all treated mice. The aim was "to prove the clinical safety and efficacy of GLIX1 and make it globally available through licensing to a large pharma company", according to CORDIS.

The European Innovation Council granted €2,500,000 towards a €19.36 million project, CureGLIO, from January 2023 to December 2025. The final report lists completed toxicology studies in rats and dogs, GMP manufacture of capsules with up to two years' shelf life, and clearance of a US investigational new drug application, "formal regulatory authorization to initiate first-in-human testing". A planned companion diagnostic was dropped after tests showed the biomarker "did not provide a technically or clinically actionable correlation". In September 2025 Hemispherian and the Israeli company BioLineRx formed a joint venture for GLIX1, and the first trial opened in April 2026 with up to 30 patients, according to ClinicalTrials.gov.

Where Hemispherian Stands Now

Under the joint venture, Hemispherian contributed GLIX1's global rights and BioLineRx manages and pays for all development. Hemispherian started with 60% of the venture, and BioLineRx's 40% can rise to 70% as it keeps investing. The trial, led by Roger Stupp at Northwestern University's Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, is in patients with recurrent high-grade glioma and aims to find the right dose; BioLineRx expects data in the first half of 2027. In 2025 Hemispherian reported revenue of NOK 68.9 million and a net profit of NOK 53.1 million, according to the Brønnøysund Register Centre; the register summary does not show what the revenue consists of.

The Technology: Turning a Repair Enzyme Against Cancer

GLIX1 activates TET2, an enzyme whose activity is reduced in glioblastoma, which BioLineRx says causes double-stranded DNA breaks and cell death in cancer cells only. In September 2026 the partners reported that in mice GLIX1 reached brain levels of 68 to 85% of those in blood and slowed tumour growth in two glioblastoma models and a temozolomide-resistant model, in a release ahead of the EANO 2026 congress. The drug has orphan designation from the FDA and the European Medicines Agency.

What the EIC Project Promised, and What CORDIS Shows

The project promised clinical validation of GLIX1 and a route to market through a pharma partner. It delivered everything needed to start human trials and a development partner, though a Nasdaq-listed biotech in a joint venture rather than a large pharma licence. The first patient trial began after the project ended, so clinical safety and efficacy remain to be shown. CORDIS still lists the project as signed.

1. Non-clinical safety packageDeliveredRat and dog studies.
2. Regulatory clearanceDeliveredFDA IND, 2025.
3. Development partnerDeliveredBioLineRx JV.
4. Clinical validationPendingPhase 1 from April 2026.

The Money

The EIC grant covered 13% of the planned project cost. The joint venture shifts the cost of clinical development to BioLineRx, which said all its funding would "go strictly to asset development". Whether the EIC Fund invested in Hemispherian has not been disclosed.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

BioLineRx says the standard glioblastoma treatment was set in 2005 with little progress since. The EIC helped a small Norwegian company carry a new drug to the clinic; its development is now steered by an Israeli partner and run at a US cancer centre.

The Verdict

Hemispherian and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.