Houston, Texas, August 14, 2026
Fannin Partners, LLC has received new grants from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) and the Faris Foundation to support development of a targeted Raptamer-Drug Conjugate (RapDC) therapy for Ewing sarcoma, an aggressive pediatric cancer with limited treatment options. The funding is intended to advance Fannin’s proprietary Raptamer Therapeutics platform and its development of targeted therapies directed against IL1RAP, a cell-surface receptor expressed on the majority of Ewing sarcomas. The awards provide additional support for research into a potentially programmable approach for delivering therapeutic payloads directly to cancer cells.
Grants Support Targeted Ewing Sarcoma Program
Ewing sarcoma is a rare and aggressive bone and soft-tissue cancer that primarily affects children and adolescents. Patients whose disease returns or becomes resistant to standard treatment can face particularly limited therapeutic options, creating a significant need for new targeted approaches. Fannin is developing RapDCs designed to address this challenge by selectively targeting IL1RAP, an internalizing cell-surface receptor found on most Ewing sarcomas. The newly awarded support from the CDMRP and Faris Foundation will help advance the Ewing sarcoma program and strengthen development of Fannin’s synthetic Raptamer technology. According to the company, the grants also provide external validation for the scientific potential of its broader platform and its ability to generate targeted therapeutics against disease-associated cell-surface receptors. The Faris Foundation focuses on advancing research and improving outcomes for children with cancer, while CDMRP supports innovative biomedical research addressing identified healthcare needs. Their combined support highlights the importance of developing new therapeutic strategies for pediatric oncology, particularly for cancers where treatment options remain limited.
RapDC Platform Targets Cancer Cells With Precision
Fannin’s RapDC technology is designed as an alternative to conventional antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Instead of using antibodies to recognize cancer-associated targets, RapDCs use fully synthetic Raptamers that bind to internalizing cell-surface proteins and deliver cytotoxic payloads into cancer cells. For the Ewing sarcoma program, the approach is focused on IL1RAP-targeted drug delivery. The objective is to improve the precision with which therapeutic payloads reach cancer cells while potentially reducing exposure to healthy tissues. Fannin describes its Raptamer platform as programmable and modular, allowing researchers to develop targeted therapies against different disease-associated receptors. The company believes this flexibility could enable the technology to support therapeutic development across multiple cancer indications and potentially other disease areas. The current Ewing sarcoma program adds to Fannin’s expanding pediatric oncology portfolio and demonstrates how the platform can be applied to rare cancers with significant unmet medical needs.
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Fannin Expands Pediatric Oncology Pipeline
The new grants build on Fannin’s existing oncology development activities. The company’s pediatric oncology portfolio includes Allterum Therapeutics’ CD127 antibody program, which is in clinical development for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and Raptamer Therapeutics’ RapDC program for osteosarcoma, which is currently in IND-enabling studies. The Ewing sarcoma program therefore represents another application of Fannin’s targeted therapeutic development strategy. The company aims to use the modular nature of the Raptamer platform to generate therapies directed toward specific disease-associated targets, with an emphasis on precision oncology and programmable drug delivery.
Fannin said grant funding is particularly important for advancing therapies targeting rare pediatric cancers, where commercial incentives can be insufficient to support early-stage development. The latest awards add to more than $85 million in grant funding received across the Fannin portfolio, which has attracted more than $295 million in total investment. As development progresses, additional research will be needed to establish the safety, efficacy, pharmacology, and clinical potential of the IL1RAP-targeted RapDC approach. The current funding represents an important development-stage milestone rather than evidence of clinical effectiveness. The Ewing sarcoma program demonstrates the growing role of targeted drug-conjugate technologies in pediatric cancer research. By combining synthetic targeting molecules with therapeutic payloads, Fannin aims to create a new generation of precision medicines for patients who continue to face substantial treatment challenges.
Source: Fannin Partners, Raptamer Therapeutics press relese
