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Nanoligent, whoes founders are leaders of NANBIOSIS units, raises €1M in Series Seed financing

Barcelona, Spain – Milan, Italy, February 3rd, 2022 – Nanoligent SL, a biotech company specialized in the development of nanotechnology-based cancer treatments, today announces the completion of the first closing of a Seed financing round of €1M. The round has been led by members of Italian Angels for Growth, the largest network of business angels in Italy, through the investment vehicle Nanolinvest, and AVANTECA Partners, a Swiss privately held asset management firm, both specialized in supporting innovative early-stage life-science companies primarily in Europe. An equity campaign, is still ongoing on Doorway, an online investment platform, thus promising to provide additional funding for the company.

NANOLIGENT, is spin off from the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona and Research Institute of the Hospital de Sant Pau – IIB Sant Pau that was created by the Directors of NANBIOSIS Units U18. Nanotoxicology Unit, Ramón Mangues and U1. Protein Production Platform (PPP), Antoni Villaverde, together with Esther Vázquez and Manuel Rodriguez

Nanoligent, is focused on the development of new drugs for the treatment of more than 20 different metastatic cancer types. The lead molecule is based on the targeted elimination of cancer cells overexpressing the CXCR4 receptor, a recognized biomarker for poor prognosis and therapy resistance. Nanoligent is developing a new proprietary nano-technological platform, with the potential to overcome current limitations of Antibody-Drug-Conjugates. The CXCR4 is overexpressed in a significant number of patients of more than 20 different tumors.

The financing will allow Nanoligent to complete the pre-clinical development in a variety of tumor types and to move its lead candidate into pre-IND stage.

The investor syndicate will join the Nanoligent’s Board which will consist of: Michele Marzola (IAG), Michael Milos (Avanteca Partners), Manuel Rodríguez (Chairman) and Montserrat Cano (CEO).

“We started the evaluation of a possible investment in Nanoligent one year ago and since then we have received enthusiastic responses from Key Opinion Leaders and Industry Experts. It has been a real pleasure working with the team at Nanoligent; we are impressed by their scientific depth and professional responses. We are continuing our fundraise for this deal together with Doorway, a fintech investing platform”, said Michele Marzola who together with Alessandro Toniolo are co-champions from IAG in this investment.

“We are fascinated by the technological capabilities of the platform and the professionalism of the team. The whole process was an intense, productive and very professional exchange. We are looking forward to partner with the management of Nanoligent to develop this highly innovative platform, which has the potential to transform cancer therapy” said Michael Milos from AVANTECA Partners.

“It is our great pleasure to welcome Michele Marzola and Michael Milos, whose expertise and experience will be a valuable addition to the company to accomplish its ambitious development plans over the next 18 months” said Montserrat Cano, CEO of Nanoligent.

Doorway, at its turn, is very happy to continue fundraising with its qualified community for such an innovative technology that can achieve a significant impact in the treatment of many cancers, being Nanoligent a perfect example of Doorway’s vision of “business with an impact”.

About Nanoligent

Nanoligent was founded in 2017 by co-founder and Chairman Manuel Rodriguez Mariscal, as a spin-off coming from more than 10 years of fruitful collaboration between the Nanobiotechnology group at the Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, co-lead by full professor Antonio Villaverde and Principal Investigator Esther Vázquez, and the Oncogenesis and Antitumor Drug Group at the Biomedical Research Institut Sant Pau of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, headed by full professor Ramon Mangues, the three of them also co-founders of the company. Montserrat Cano joined the company in 2020, with more than 15 years of experience in pharma and biotech companies. The aim of the company is to develop a pioneering technological platform based on protein-drug nanoconjugates to target metastasis across several tumor types.

 About Italian Angels for Growth

IAG, founded in 2007, is a leader in the Italian seed venture capital: more than 270 protagonists of the entrepreneurial, financial and industrial world that invest time, skills and capital for the growth of innovative startups. Italian Angels for Growth, in more than ten years of activity, has analyzed more than 6,500 startups and its members have made over 100 investments, for a total of over 300 million euros invested by IAG members and co-investors. IAG business angels support innovative projects financially by investing their own capital, but at the same time, thanks to the mix of skills of the members, support the founders of the startups in the definition of the business model in all its aspects.

 About AVANTECA Partners

AVANTECA Partners is a Swiss-based, privately held asset management company that invests in early-stage life science companies.

Related News

“A new pathway for the prevention of metastasis in colorectal cancer in humans is open: a nanomedicine that selectively eliminates metastatic stem cells“

“Nanoligent obtains the first prize in the Tech Transfer Competition in the ONCO Emergence forum“

“Nanoligent, the spin off created by the Directors of Units 1 and 18 of NANBIOSIS, awarded for the best company in Health Sciences given by the law firm RCD“

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A new pathway for the prevention of metastasis in colorectal cancer in humans is open: a nanomedicine that selectively eliminates metastatic stem cells

Researchers of NANBIOSIS U18  Nanotoxicology Unit and U1. Protein Production Platform (PPP) at the Biomedical Research Institute of Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), of the Hospital of Santa Creu i Sant Pau, of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), the Superior Council of Scientific Research (CSIC) and the Center for Biomedical Research in Network (CIBER) have published an article in one of the most prestigious international scientific journals in the field of Molecular Medicine, EMBO Molecular Medicine. This article demonstrates the efficacy of the  nanopharmaceutical  that selectively removes metastatic stem cells in animal models of colon cancer. The new drug works like a drone that has a ligand that identifies a receptor (CXCR4) in the metastatic stem cells, administers the drug and destroys these cells by blocking the metastasis.  The drug acts only on metastatic tumor cells and not on healthy cells, so it avoids the general toxicity associated with the usual treatments

This nanopharmaceutical has been successfully tested in animal models of colorectal cancer, but could be used in 20 additional tumor types that express CXCR4,
as in those of prostate, breast, ovary and others

This is the first drug in the world selectively antimetastatic that addresses the medical need to block metastatic spread, the main cause of death in cancer patients, while eliminating the toxicity and adverse effects of conventional treatments

The Hospital de Sant Pau could be the first center in the world to carry out clinical trials that evaluate this new drug in patients, prior to its possible introduction in clinical therapeutics

It has been observed that this receptor is overexpressed in at least 20 different types of cancer, including those of the prostate, breast, ovary and others not as common as the pancreas. This means that this nanoparticle can be targeted to treat different types of neoplasms, making it a very versatile vehicle that can transport different therapeutic molecules of high potency.

 

Article of reference:

María Virtudes Céspedes, Ugutz Unzueta, Anna Aviñó, Alberto Gallardo, Patricia Álamo, Rita Sala, Alejandro Sánchez‐Chardi, Isolda Casanova, María Antònia Mangues, Antonio Lopez‐Pousa,Ramón Eritja, Antonio Villaverde, Esther Vázquez, Ramón Mangues.  Selective depletion of metastatic stem cells as therapy for human colorectal cancer. EMBO Molecular Medicine (2018) e8772 Published online 06.09.2018. DOI 10.15252/emmm.201708772

The team of researchers, led by Dr. Ramón Magues de l’IIB Sant Pau, Prof. Antonio Villaverde of the UAB and Dr. Esther Vázquez of the UAB, have shown that the drug acts only on metastasis-initiating cells through its specific interaction between a peptide present in the protein nanoparticle that transports it and the cellular receptor CXCR4 that is overexpressed in tumor cells. This allows attacking only the tumor cells, blocking their dissemination in early stages, in a way that prevents the appearance of metastasis while avoiding the adverse effects derived from the usual treatments.

 

Nanoligent, a new spin-off to finance the nanoparticle

In June 2017, researchers from the IIB Sant Pau, from the Institute of Biotechnology and Biomedicine of the UAB and the CIBER from Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN) who signed the article published now in EMBO Molecular Medicine created a spin-off, Nanoligent , with the aspiration to develop the first drug designed to eliminate metastatic cells.

This company, which has more than 10 years of studies behind it, is directed by Dr. Manuel Rodríguez Mariscal, a professional with a long experience in the field of investment and the creation of biotechnology companies and aims to obtain financing for the realization of the project.

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Nanoligent obtains the first prize in the Tech Transfer Competition in the ONCO Emergence forum

Last June 21-22th, took place at the Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, the ONCO Emergence forum, a networking conference focused on setting up transnational collaboration projects in oncology by promoting interaction among research institutes, companies and medical facilities like hospitals.

In other to promote alliances and generate collaborative projects from hospitals and academia to other stakeholders, ONCO Emergence Forum Barcelona has created a  Tech Transfer Competition that features cherry-picked entrepreneurs, TTO or principal investigators developing new technology ready to be licensed or in development through a spin-off.  Selected participants presented their innovative projects in a 6-minute English pitch to an experienced panel of judges, being the prize €1,500, provided by Fundación Pública Andaluza Parque Tecnológico de la Salud de Granada. The competition target  are therapeutic, diagnostic, medtech and digital health projects in oncology within the framework of improving healthcare and medical assistance with a deep focus on an unmet medical/market/patient need, resolved through an innovative technology to create a product or service; project must be in TLR 2-4 with tested hypothesis and demonstrated proof-of-concept as well as safety in in vitro/animal model.

NANOLIGENT, the spin off created by the Directors of NANBIOSIS Units U1. Protein Production Platform (PPP), Antoni Villaverde and U18. Nanotoxicology Unit, Ramón Mangues, together with Esther Vázquez and Manuel Rodriguez, was awarded with the First Prize.

Nanoligent´s project is about antimetastatic medication for colorectal cancer and its business model is carrying out a first clinical trial which demonstrates the efficacy of the medication in humans and allows the company to sign a license agreement with a pharmaceutical company.

 

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Nanoligent, the spin off created by the Directors of Units 1 and 18 of NANBIOSIS, awarded for the best company in Health Sciences given by the law firm RCD

NANOLIGENT is awarded for the best company in Health Sciences  Price given by the law firm RCD.

The XXIII Investment Forum of ACCIÓ 2018 was celebrated last June 20th  with the aim of connecting with the world of private investment.  ACCIÓ, Company Competitiveness Agency, had previously published a catalog of startups with the most potential startups in Catalonia, projects selected from more than 100 candidatures were presented for the 2018 Investment Forum of ACTION. The 50 companies in this catalog stand out due to their differential nature and innovative value, due to their social impact and the involvement of the entrepreneurial team. They are companies operating in key sectors for the economy of the future such as life and health sciences, ICT and other crucial cutting-edge technologies for industry 4.0 including 3D printing, IoT and virtual reality. The 21 finalists had the opportunity to present themselves to a large number of investors and venture capital funds during the Forum’s celebration, an audience of 600 people who voted the 9 best companies to participate in the final.  Nanoligent, S.L., the company stablished on March 2017 by professors Dr. A. Villaverde and Dra. E. Vázquez from NANBIOSIS Unit 1, professor Dr. M. Mangués from NANBIOSIS Unit 18, and entrepreneur Dr. M. Rodríguez won the award for the best company in Health Sciences given by the law firm RCD (Rousaud Costas Duran)

NANOLIGENT’s mission is to improve the lives of patients by designing new medications that selectively target the cells affected by disease. With this approach NANOLIGENT develops treatments that are more effective and have less adverse effects than classical drugs using state-of-the-art protein engineering and nanobiotechnology. Currently Nanoligent is working on antimetastatic medication for colorectal cancer and its business model is carrying out a first clinical trial which demonstrates the efficacy of the medication in humans and allows the company to sign a license agreement with a pharmaceutical company

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