Success for Apmonia Therapeutics' technology platform developing a portfolio of therapeutic peptides targeting the tumor microenvironment in solid tumors
Apmonia Therapeutics today announced that it has raised approximately €4 million in funding, following an initial round in 2020 with Business Angels Marne Ardennes (BAMA). This brings the total funding raised for the development of Apmonia Therapeutics to nearly €5.3 million, including capital investments, Bpifrance loans, state aid, and regional subsidies.
The aim of this new fundraising round is to finalize preclinical work so that the first clinical trials in humans can begin. The investors participating in the syndication are the Fournier-Majoie Foundation (Brussels), the investment fund management companies Capital Grand Est and FINOVAM Gestion, and the Angels Santé network.
"We are delighted with this very significant fundraising, which demonstrates investor confidence in our peptide-based approach to immuno-oncology and in our technology platform technology platform ," said Dr. Albin Jeanne, President of Apmonia Therapeutics and co-inventor of the technology.
New therapeutic prospects in oncology Apmonia Therapeutics is developing a portfolio of peptide-based therapeutic products that target the tumor microenvironment and offer new therapeutic prospects in oncology. This innovative strategy has already been recognized with the title of Winner of the i-Lab competition in 2020.
"This fundraising and investor support opens up new development opportunities for the company's peptide platform and will strengthen the pipeline of products with potential applications in various diseases ," explains Abderrahim Lachgar, member of the Strategic Committee and co-founder of Apmonia Therapeutics.
Apmonia Therapeutics' initial program, called AP-01, involves using a peptide (TAX2) that acts as a modulator of the tumor microenvironment, reprogramming vascularized tumors to become less angiogenic and activating immune cells. With a mode of action that differs from competing approaches, the TAX2 peptide is a selective and specific therapeutic strategy targeting the interaction between the TSP-1 protein and the CD47 receptor. By targeting TSP-1, the technology developed by Apmonia Therapeutics prevents CD47 from exerting its pro-tumor potential and restores an anti-tumor immune response.
The demonstration of TAX2's preclinical efficacy in various cancer models has confirmed the relevance of this approach, which also offers potential synergies with other therapeutic modalities. The approach developed by Apmonia Therapeutics therefore holds great promise, particularly for the treatment of solid tumors.
"The quality of the team assembled around the project was a decisive factor in supporting this project. Apmonia Therapeutics has both excellent scientific expertise, with Professor Stéphane Dedieu, the inventor of the TAX2 peptide, and Dr. Albin Jeanne, a scientist with extensive experience in the field of immunotherapy, and a strong business team led by Dr. Stéphane Dedieu, the inventor of the TAX2 peptide, and Dr. Albin Jeanne, a scientist with real management skills, and on the other hand, the support of experts in biotechnology and immuno-oncology ," concludes Stéphane Loze, member of the Strategic Committee and Director at Angels Santé.
Apmonia Therapeutics' therapeutic approach stems from work carried out by the MEDyC Joint Research Unit (CNRS UMR 7369) at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne (URCA), bringing together scientific teams working in particular on the study of communication mechanisms between tumors (cancer and stromal cells) and the extracellular matrix, with the aim of identifying new therapeutic targets. A renowned Scientific Advisory Board comprising Dr. Alexandra Leary, Prof. Olivier Bouche, and Prof. Armand Bensussan also supports the company's development.
"We are convinced by the innovative nature and potential of the technology developed by Apmonia Therapeutics. The originality of the approach, combined with scientific rigor, opens up very promising development prospects for better patient care," said Jérôme Majoie, member of the Strategic Committee and Chairman and CEO of the Fournier-Majoie Foundation.