Adiposs raises CHF 4 million to advance brown fat imaging in cancer care
Life sciences
1 July 2025
ImageBAT uses a novel contrast agent to detect brown fat activity on standard CT scans, providing early insights into treatment response in cancer patients. | © Adiposs
Adiposs secures CHF 4 million to advance ImageBAT, a novel contrast agent using CT scans to predict cancer treatment response via brown fat imaging.
Geneva-based biotech Adiposs has announced the successful closing of a CHF 4 million Series A funding round to accelerate clinical development of its flagship product, ImageBAT. The round includes participation from Swiss and Taiwanese venture capital firms, European family offices, and individual investors.
Adiposs is pioneering a novel approach to cancer diagnostics through non-invasive visualization of brown adipose tissue (BAT), or brown fat. Its contrast agent, ImageBAT, is designed to be used with standard CT scans to detect hypermetabolism—an indicator of poor response to treatment and a precursor to cachexia in cancer patients. This approach addresses a significant unmet need in oncology: identifying non-responders early enough to adjust or personalize treatment strategies.
Following the successful completion of a Phase I clinical trial in 2023, which confirmed safety and tolerability in healthy volunteers, the company has now received regulatory authorization to begin its next phase of development. The IBT-002 proof-of-principle trial started dosing patients in June 2025, with top-line results expected in early 2026.
“We are thrilled to have the support of such a distinguished group of investors who share our mission for improving cancer patient outcomes globally,” said Adiposs CEO and Co-Founder Andrej Babic. “This financing enables us to generate the clinical data needed to fully unlock the potential of our technology.”
To support its growth, Adiposs is also expanding its Board of Directors. New appointees include Dr. Peter Lichtlen, a seasoned biotech entrepreneur with three successful exits in oncology, and Johnny Chen, a former partner at KPMG and PwC with deep experience in venture capital and private equity.
A spin-off from the University of Geneva and listed among Switzerland’s top 100 life sciences start-ups, Adiposs positions itself at the intersection of medical imaging, cancer diagnostics, and precision medicine. Its scalable technology leverages CT infrastructure already in use in hospitals worldwide, offering a promising tool to improve care for cancer patients facing hypermetabolism and treatment resistance.
