Despite major advances in diagnosis and treatment, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, underscoring the continued need for scientific innovation and therapeutic development. To mark World Cancer Day, we spoke to Maximilian Telander who is the CEO of Ambusol, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative high precision therapeutic solutions that change how cancer is treated.
Maximilian is one of the co-founders of Ambusol with a financial background from Warwick Business School and Deutsche Bank. In his role as CEO, Maximilian is levering his financial expertise and strategic insight into making Ambusol’s scientific breakthroughs into life-saving treatments that change the lives of cancer patients worldwide.
In our conversation, we talked to Maximilian about the challenges of oncology drug development, the importance of innovation and collaboration in addressing unmet medical needs, and what motivates the team’s work in the fight against cancer.
World Cancer Day is a moment to reflect on progress and challenges in cancer care. From your perspective, where do you see the greatest unmet needs today?
One of the greatest unmet needs in cancer care today is effective treatment for aggressive and treatment resistant cancers such as glioblastoma. Despite decades of research, outcomes for these patients have barely improved. Current therapies are highly toxic, last for many months, and still almost inevitably lead to relapse.
For readers who may not be familiar with Ambusol, how would you describe the company’s mission in simple terms?
Ambusol is focused on developing a new way to treat some of the most aggressive cancers, starting with glioblastoma. Our mission is to eliminate cancer cells selectively while sparing healthy tissue, using a short and non-toxic treatment. In simple terms, we aim to replace long and damaging cancer treatments with a precise and patient friendly alternative.
As CEO, what drew you personally to Ambusol and to working in the field of cancer research?
What drew me to Ambusol was the strength of the underlying science and the clarity of its clinical relevance. The company is built on decades of academic research that has already shown extraordinary results in patients who had no remaining treatment options. Being able to help translate that work into a scalable clinical solution, with the potential to truly change outcomes for patients with cancer, is a rare and compelling opportunity.
What makes Ambusol’s approach to cancer treatment different from more conventional strategies?
Ambusol’s approach is fundamentally different because it targets a metabolic vulnerability that is specific to aggressive cancer cells. Our treatment uses an artificial amino acid that glioblastoma cells absorb much faster than healthy cells, leading to selective cell death. The treatment is delivered locally via a patented catheter system directly into the tumor and is completed in seven days. Unlike conventional therapies, it does not rely on systemic toxicity, prolonged treatment schedules, or damage to surrounding tissue.
What role does collaboration play in advancing Ambusol’s work?
Collaboration is central to Ambusol’s progress. Our work spans biology, engineering, and clinical practice, which makes strong partnerships essential. We collaborate closely with leading clinicians, academic researchers, and technology partners to ensure that our solution is both scientifically sound and clinically practical. These collaborations allow us to move efficiently from research to real world patient impact.
Cancer is often described as a complex and adaptable disease. How does Ambusol’s work and the collaboration with Fluicell take this complexity into account?
Cancer complexity is exactly why precision matters. Our collaboration with Fluicell enables extremely controlled and localized delivery of treatment into living tissue. This allows us to manage the tumor environment with high accuracy and avoid the uncontrolled spread and collateral damage seen in many conventional approaches. By focusing on localized, controlled intervention rather than systemic exposure, Ambusol’s method is designed to address cancer’s adaptability without escalating toxicity.
Ultimately, innovation in cancer treatment is about patients. How do you think Ambusol’s work could change the experience or outlook for people living with cancer?
For patients, Ambusol’s work could mean fewer side effects, shorter treatment time, and a real long-term survival even in late-stage disease. In glioblastoma, where hope is often limited after relapse, the possibility of a non-toxic treatment with durable outcomes can be life changing. Beyond survival, preserving neurological function and quality of life is a core part of what we are trying to achieve.
Looking to the future, what milestones or developments are you most hopeful about for Ambusol in the coming years?
I am most hopeful about advancing our ongoing proof of concept studies into broader clinical adoption. Key milestones include expanding clinical data, progressing through regulatory pathways, and establishing Ambusol’s treatment as a new standard option for glioblastoma. Longer term, we are excited about applying the same platform to other aggressive cancers where current treatments remain inadequate.
About Ambusol
Ambusol is a clinical-stage cancer therapeutics company pioneering a patented approach to treat post-surgical Stage IV glioblastoma (GBM). In partnership with Fluicell, Ambusol is developing novel treatment solutions that combine therapeutics with high precision technologies for drug delivery and residual cancer cell removal.
Read more on Ambusol’s website.