Tenant Spotlight: AlphaThera
AlphaThera is a growing biotech company that started at the University of Pennsylvania, where its founders Dr. Andrew Tsourkas and Dr. James Hui were searching for better ways to see and treat cancer inside the body. Early on, their research focused on very tiny particles, called nanoparticles, that are so small they’re measured in billionths of a meter. These particles can be engineered to find tumors, deliver medicine, or light up cancer cells so doctors and scientists can detect disease more clearly.
The challenge? Getting these particles to their intended targets inside the body proved difficult. About ten years ago, Drs. Tsourkas and Hui set out to simplify and improve the process of attaching antibodies to nanoparticles. Antibodies stick to specific cells (like cancer cells), making them easier to track, study, or image. Their work led to the development of specialized antibody labeling reagents and the launch of AlphaThera. AlphaThera makes it easier for researchers to label antibodies with nanoparticles, drugs, imaging agents, and more, helping accelerate scientific discoveries.
The company officially spun out of Penn in 2016, under the direction of Dr. Feifan Yu, its Chief Scientific Officer. With support from National Institutes of Health Small Business Innovation Research (NIH SBIR) grants, AlphaThera refined its technology and launched its first commercial products in 2020. Today, the company has more than a dozen products on the market and works with labs across academia, biotech, and pharma to advance cancer research and other disease studies.
In September 2025, AlphaThera relocated to uCity Square, a leading mixed-use innovation community located at the intersection of Penn and Drexel’s campuses. “We’re part of a larger community of startups and scientists and there’s a real energy here,” said Dr. Tsourkas. “It keeps us inspired, and it’s only a short walk from the Penn’s main campus, where I continue to teach and lead our research at the TITAN Lab.”
AlphaThera’s bright, light-filled space with great views at CIC Philadelphia, located in 3675 Market Street, has also made day-to-day operations easier. Shared equipment, backup freezers, and flexible lab space allow the team, which has now grown to eight employees, to stay productive with room for expansion.
AlphaThera continues to collaborate locally, including a government-supported project with Integral Molecular – another uCity Square tenant – and sells its products to Penn labs and other area partners. “For a small company, these connections are invaluable,” added Tsourkas.
The AlphaThera team especially appreciates the sense of community at uCity Square. With frequent events, informal conversations, and opportunities to meet other innovators, networking becomes natural. For a growing company, that visibility and connectivity can make all the difference.
From its beginnings in a Penn lab to its emergence as a commercial company with global reach, AlphaThera is a clear example of how Philadelphia’s innovation ecosystem helps promising ideas turn into tools that support scientists around the world.
For more information about AlphaThera, please visit https://alphathera.com.