Binding life
Redefining where cancer treatment begins
It all begins within
Lithea AB is a Swedish pharmatech company developing a bone mineral-based platform for local delivery of cancer drugs. The platform enables controlled and sustained release directly at the tumor site, to improve treatment outcomes and reduce side effects.
Why cancer treatment needs a new route
Most chemotherapy is delivered through the bloodstream, but only a small amount reaches the tumour. In cancers like osteosarcoma, as little as five percent of the drug makes it to the site, while the rest circulates through the body, causing toxic side effects.
This mismatch limits how aggressively we can treat the disease, leaving tumours undertreated and patients overexposed.
The solution
Targeted intratumoral drug delivery
Lithea’s platform is a novel intratumoral drug delivery system built from biocompatible bone minerals, calcium sulfate and nano-hydroxyapatite. These minerals form a solid pellet implant that delivers chemotherapy directly into tumour tissue, increasing local drug exposure while reducing harm to healthy tissue.
It’s a new way to treat cancer, from the inside out.
Local delivery
Chemotherapy is placed directly into the tumour, not circulated through the body
Reduced toxicity
Less systemic exposure means fewer side effects and a safer treatment window
Sustained release
Each pellet delivers the drug over time, maintaining therapeutic levels where it matters
Biocompatible
Scalable existing materials with clinical use (orthopaedics, CE/FDA approved)
Latest News
Lithea granted SME status by European Medicines Agency (EMA)
Lithea’s technology showcased at ORS 2025 Annual meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, US