Liège-based EXO Biologics, a clinical-stage biotech firm, introduced on Wednesday, April 24, that it has secured a complete of as much as €16M in Sequence A funding.
The announcement comes after the corporate raised €9M from traders, together with Noshaq, Founders, and Belgian Household Workplaces.
This preliminary help was additional supported by subsidies from the Public Service of Wallonia (SPW) in Belgium, amounting to a further €7M.
A good portion (€5.5M) of the general public subsidies was granted by means of the Technological Innovation Partnership for Superior Remedy Medicinal Merchandise (ATMP-PIT) initiative.
This initiative, a part of the Walloon Restoration Plan in Belgium, includes collaboration between 26 companions to drive the event and manufacturing of next-generation biomedicines.
“By attaining this Sequence A funding in what stays a difficult time throughout the life science sector, EXO Biologics has obtained an endorsement from its founders, and current and new traders. This vital funding will help EXO Biologics in acquiring non-dilutive funding. It can additionally allow EXO Biologics to convey novel exosome therapies to sufferers with few various therapeutic choices,” says Hugues Wallemacq, Chief Government Officer (CEO) of EXO Biologics.
Fund utilisation
The Belgian firm will use the funds to help its ongoing and future scientific trials.
The biotech agency can even use funds to proceed its manufacturing growth, together with upgrading its distinctive manufacturing platform, ExoPulse, and increasing partnerships to allow pan-market entry to the platform and GMP clinical-grade exosomes for quicker entry to scientific trials.
EXO Biologics plans to allocate the funding to advance healthcare initiatives, with a particular give attention to the EVENEW scientific trial.
This trial, authorised by the European Medicines Company, includes MSC-based exosomes, with EXO Biologics’ EXOB-001 because the lead candidate.
The research goals to discover using EXOB-001 in stopping Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) in preterm newborns.
“Having now launched the primary scientific trial accredited by the EMA to make use of MSC-based exosomes, EXO Biologics is now in a position to help the scientific improvement of those extremely promising therapies globally. This vital funding will, due to this fact, allow EXO Biologics to speed up improvement and industrial agreements with third events worldwide,” says Wallemacq.
To additional this aim, EXO Biologics can even put money into enhancing the ExoPulse manufacturing platform.
This may permit for extra intensive analysis into using exosomes to ship therapeutic molecules, together with RNAs, proteins, and chemical drug compounds.
Moreover, the funds can be used to strengthen ExoXpert, a subsidiary of EXO Biologics.
ExoXpert is among the first CDMOs (contract improvement and manufacturing organisation) to concentrate on exosomes. It leverages the clinically confirmed manufacturing platform ExoPulse.
By offering entry to ExoPulse, ExoXpert goals to speed up and de-risk exosome drug improvement journeys for different corporations.
EXO Biologics: Creating biopharmaceuticals utilizing Extracellular Vesicles
Led by Hugues Wallemacq, EXO Biologics is a biotech firm dedicated to creating biopharmaceuticals utilizing exosomes to deal with uncommon illnesses with unmet medical wants.
The corporate’s improvement technique focuses on novel drug candidates for therapeutic functions in respiratory illnesses, inflammatory bowel illnesses, neurology, and oncology.
The Belgian firm has developed EXOB-001, a drug candidate primarily based on exosomes derived from human umbilical wire cells.
Exosomes are nanoparticles that assist modulate the immune system and promote tissue restore. They’re a safer various to MSCs as they don’t set off an immune response or emboli.
EXOB-001 has obtained Uncommon Pediatric Illness Designation and Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA and ODD from EMA. It’s meant to forestall BPD in preterm newborns.