TimeTeller and the science of timing cancer treatment

Relógio, whose background spans oncology and systems medicine, founded the company after observing how often cancer patients abandoned treatment due to severe side effects. Her research suggests that many of these adverse reactions stem from a misalignment between drug administration and the patient’s internal biological clock. While the startup offers a direct-to-consumer saliva test for general health insights like nutrition and sleep, its primary mission remains the optimization of oncology outcomes through clinical study.

The venture has already secured a significant foothold in the German healthcare system. Through a partnership with Techniker Krankenkasse, one of the nation's largest insurers, the company is moving from pilot reimbursement programs for cancer patients toward broader integration for the insurer's 12 million members. Based at the Medical School Hamburg, the 10-person team is now scaling its efforts to prove that biological timing is a fundamental pillar of modern medicine. By shifting the focus from simple morning-or-night-owl classifications to granular, data-driven chronobiology, Relógio intends to make timing a standard variable in therapeutic care.