UTSW Spinout InterAct Therapeutics Selected by Cell & Gene Therapy Incubator Program

Interact Therapeutics, a Dallas-based cancer cell and gene therapy company with links to UT Southwestern and Pegasus Park’s BioLabs, is one of six startups selected for the second cohort of Charles River Laboratories International’s Cell & Gene Therapy Incubator Program (CIP).

InterAct, which launched inside BioLabs at Pegasus Park, is a preclinical stage biotech company developing AAV8-based gene therapies for metastatic cancer, with an initial focus on breast cancer-derived liver metastases (BC-LM).

“Metastasis accounts for approximately 90% of cancer deaths, and there is a gaping therapeutic void for patients with BC-LM, who face a survival window of just 3–15 months,” Daniel Hargrove, co-founder and CEO of InterAct Therapeutics, said in a statement. “The acceptance into the Charles River Incubator Program not only validates our novel AAV8 approach, but critically, it will accelerate the development and scale-up of our InterAct Print platform—the real long-term value driver with true multi-indication optionality.”

Cracking the ‘biological code’ on how tumor cells metastasize

Isaac Chan, the scientific leader of InterAct and a UTSW professor and researcher, said InterAct’s approach is a game-changer.

“For the first time, we’re beginning to crack the biological code on how infiltrating tumor cells create space in distant organs,” added Chan, MD, PhD, co-founder and CSO of InterAct Therapeutics. “Our proprietary InterAct Print computational engine identified the essential genes driving liver colonization and therapeutic targets.”

He also noted the importance of startup support, adding, “The Charles River Incubator provides the critical manufacturing and scientific support to translate this foundational discovery into a safe, durable, and liver-directed gene therapy for breast cancer liver metastases. We are honored to partner with Charles River.”

In 2024, Chan was UT Southwestern’s principal investigator on a team that received a grant from Dallas-based breast cancer organization Susan G. Komen for research on a treatment for metastatic breast cancer.

More on the Cell & Gene Therapy Incubator Program

CIP launched in December 2024, with the inaugural cohort announced in April 2025. The program gives early-stage biotechnology pioneers access to extensive scientific and commercial expertise, along with a comprehensive ecosystem of discovery, development, and manufacturing capabilities, to accelerate the development of technologies and life-changing therapies for patients in need.

“The CIP’s success shows how effectively it attracts top talent and promotes innovation,” Kerstin Dolph, corporate SVP of global manufacturing at Charles River, said in a statement. “By establishing a strong foundation for commercial viability, the CIP is helping participants advance life-saving therapeutics and transform innovative ideas into real-world impact.”

InterAct is one of four advanced therapy developers in the cohort. The others are London-based CureAge Therapeutics, which is developing a platform to treat peripheral nerve diseases; San Diego-based Jaan Biotherapeutics, a developer of novel therapies designed to activate the cardiac regeneration process in diseased hearts using proprietary microRNA targeting technologies; and Kopra Bio, a San Francisco start-up developing an in vivo tumor editing platform targeting solid tumors with an initial focus on the most aggressive form of brain cancer, glioblastoma.

Also in the cohort are two enabling technology developers: Columbia, Maryland-based global supplier of specialty chemicals and pharmaceutical solutions W.R. Grace & Co., which is advancing bioprocessing applications for its proprietary superparamagnetic silica technology in plasmid DNA production; and HTLab AG’s Biowerkli, a Swiss-based technology company that uses open source AI to empower the global biotech community with transparent, accessible AI, digitalization, and smart biomanufacturing tools to accelerate the development of safe, life-changing therapies for patients by turning disconnected data into a predictive engine for manufacturing and release success..

According to Wilmington, Massachusetts-based Charles River Laboratories, program participants benefit from custom mentorship, regulatory and quality consultations, fit-for-purpose training initiatives, and preferential access to Charles River’s global network of facilities, “curated to support cell and gene therapies from concept to cure.”