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Since 2009 this event has served as a springboard to more than 100 companies After a selection process to be studied 400 projects. (Photo: COMB).
 11.03.2016

Aromics and Iproteos present their projects at 16th Healthcare Investment Forum

Aromics and Iproteos, based at the Barcelona Science Park, have been selected to present their innovation projects at 16th Healthcare Investment Forum, which took place on 9th March at the meeting room of the Barcelona Medical Association (COMB). The workshop, organised by Biocat, Esade BAN, Barcelona Activa and COMB, aims to create a meeting point for companies in the healthcare sector and investors who might be interested in funding their idea or product. Since 2009, this initiative has helped lunch over 100 companies following a selection process that evaluated about 400 projects.

 

One more year, the Healthcare Investment Forum gave early-stage and growing companies the chance to share their business idea with potential investors to try to get an capital injection that would enable them to continue developing their project. Of the 47 projects in biotechnology, medical devices, healthcare services and health-related information technology that aspired to be selected, the committee chose 10 start-ups to present their ideas to businesspeople, investors and entrepreneurs. 

Each entrepreneur had twenty minutes to briefly explain their business idea and try to convince investors. In addition to valorizing the projects, the event also included a networking session.

Aromics: fighting against asbestos cancer 

For the last four years, Aromics has been working on a new family of chemical compounds with antitumor activity. NAX035, is the first candidate selected to advance into clinical trials. The biotech company is currently completing the preclinical regulatory phase that is required to test the compound in patients. Malignant mesothelioma, a rare and very aggressive tumour affecting mesothelium, a thin layer that covers vital organs such as the lungs, the heart or the abdominal cavity, has been selected as the first clinical indication for this product. Malignant mesothelioma is considered an occupational disease since its appearance is directly related to labour exposure to asbestos. Despite the ban in the European Union at the 90s (in Spain 2002), mesothelioma is a tumour with a long latency period (from 30 to 40 years after exposure to diagnosis) and consequently, an increased incidence rate is expected in Europe from 2020 and beyond.

“Current treatment includes surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Unfortunately most patients are diagnosed at advanced stage of the disease where the only therapeutic option is chemotherapy. The current treatment (combining pemetrexed with cisplatin) was approved over 10 years ago and has a moderate response, being resistance to chemotherapy a major problem” Carmen Plasencia, founder and CEO of Aromics, says.

The project, started by the end of 2011, has been funded to date by the company with the partial support of R & D funding grants from ACC1Ó (through Eurotransbio scheme of the 7th European Framework Program) and CDTI (through the  pID program). “The company is currently in negotiations with several private investors (business angels and family offices) in order to close the first bridge round of 500,000 Euros total devoted to complete preclinical regulatory studies, while moving towards a larger financial round (of about 5.5 million Euros total) which will allow us to complete the manufacture of the product and to perform the safety and the efficacy clinical studies in patients” Dr. Plasencia says.

Aromics, founded in 2005, has just been awarded the seal of ‘Pyme Innovadora‘ (Innovative SMEs) granted by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) for its consolidated work in research and development.

 

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