THOR Project Wins the VTSO-XarSMART Health Innovation Award

Published 17 December 2025

The THOR project from IDIBELL, led by Rafael Moreno, has been selected as the winning initiative of the IV VTSO-XarSMART Health Innovation Awards. The prizes were presented during a ceremony held at Viladecans The Style Outlets. The first prize, valued at €25,000 – €10,000 in cash and €15,000 in XarSMART services – recognises the strong translational potential of the THOR platform. Two runner-up prizes of €2,500 each were also awarded to SUCC2M (IISPV, Reus) and LiverColor (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona). 

THOR – Advancing Scalable and Accessible CAR-T Innovation 

The THOR platform proposes a universal, modulable CAR-T therapy designed to treat different tumour types using a single, ready-to-use cell bank. This approach aims to overcome key limitations of current personalised CAR-T therapies, including long manufacturing timelines and high costs, which can delay treatment for patients with rapidly progressing disease. 

The selection panel – comprising representatives from leading biomedical institutions, innovation experts and European translational research infrastructures, including EATRIS – highlighted the project’s strong clinical relevance and scalability. Immediate availability of the cell bank could significantly reduce treatment waiting times, while controlled activation of the therapy has the potential to improve safety and tolerability by limiting adverse immune reactions. 

Anna Sanchez, Innovation Manager at EATRIS and member of the selection panel, commented:

“What stood out about THOR was its clear focus on translation and scalability. This is a solution that has been designed with real-world clinical constraints in mind – from manufacturing feasibility to patient access. Supporting projects like this aligns closely with EATRIS’ mission to help academic innovations move more efficiently from the laboratory into clinical development, where they can deliver tangible benefit for patients.” 

Two Additional Awards Recognising Translational Excellence 

The SUCC2M project, led by Isabel Huber at IISPV, proposes an oral enzymatic therapy that targets the multiple drivers of inflammatory bowel disease. Current treatments are often costly, lose effectiveness over time and can cause significant side effects. SUCC2M offers a novel mechanism of action that aims to control inflammation, restore microbial balance and protect epithelial integrity, potentially reducing reliance on biologics or surgery. 

LiverColor, developed by the team of Dr Gemma Piella at UPF, is an AI-based platform that analyses images taken in the operating theatre to assess donor liver viability. By transforming a largely subjective assessment into a data-driven decision, the tool could improve transplant outcomes and enable the use of up to 50% of livers that are currently discarded. 

Strengthening the Catalan and European biomedical innovation ecosystem 

The VTSO-XarSMART Health Innovation Awards aim to support public research teams across Catalonia in transforming laboratory results into viable, scalable healthcare solutions. Through structured mentoring, business development support and access to expert networks – including European infrastructures such as EATRIS – the programme addresses key barriers to translation beyond scientific excellence alone.

This year’s edition received a record 73 applications from 39 institutions, reflecting the strength and diversity of the regional biomedical ecosystem. Oncology was the most represented field, followed by Neurology, Cardiology, Paediatric indications and Immunology. Thirteen proposals incorporated artificial intelligence, highlighting its growing role in translational research. 

Miguel Ángel Souto, Director of Business Development at IDIBELL, noted: 

“Many strong biomedical projects struggle not because of scientific quality, but because the path to implementation is complex. XarSMART exists to support researchers through these critical stages, while allowing them to remain focused on their science.” 

María Jesús Montesinos, Manager of Viladecans The Style Outlets, added: 

“Initiatives like these awards help ensure that promising scientific developments reach patients sooner. Collaboration between research centres, institutions and industry is essential if health innovation is to deliver its full value.”