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ImmunNovative Developments joins the Barcelona Science Park Bioincubator

By 22 de March de 2011November 18th, 2020No Comments
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 22.03.2011

ImmunNovative Developments joins the Barcelona Science Park Bioincubator

, a company dedicated to the development of new biological therapies for the treatment of sepsis and other immune-based inflammatory processes, has joined the PCB-Santander Bioincubator hosted by the Barcelona Science Park, where it aims to promote its research in this field. The spin-off was created one year ago by Francisco Lozano, researcher at the Clinical Hospital of Barcelona and professor at the School of Medicine of the University of Barcelona, after the discovery of two molecules that could become the first effective response against septic shock of a bacterial and fungal origin. This accomplishment has been the result of the research work conducted by Dr. Lozano's team in this field for over 20 years.

The company has recently signed a contract for the licensing of patents related with these molecules with Innovative and Scientific Culture, a University of Barcelona Group society dedicated to the management of participations in spin-offs. According to the director of ImmunNovative, Josep Lluís Falcó, “between now and 2012, ImmunNovative wishes to finalize the regulatory preclinical phase and obtain authorization to commence clinical trials in 2013. The final objective will be to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of our drugs in phase II patients”.

Sepsis is a very serious infection triggered in most cases by bacteria, producing a systemic inflammatory response. When it is associated with multiorgan failure, it is referred to as severe sepsis and septic shock, the most common causes of death in Intensive Care Units (ICUs). The socioeconomic impact of sepsis, at a national level, entails a cost of 345 million Euros to the Administration. This condition ranks first as the highest expense in the healthcare system, followed by far by myocardial infarction, with a cost of 80 million Euros. 25% of patients admitted to ICUs are suffering from sepsis and their average hospital stay is 30 days.

Sepsis is a medical need that is clearly not being met, according to Josep Lluís Falcó. There are serious difficulties in correctly diagnosing this condition in a timely manner and the efficacy of current therapies is limited. The aim of the new products that are being developed by ImmunNovative Developments is that they will provide a better alternative, given that they have a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activity, they do not develop resistance, they are not toxic or immunogenic and they have shown very promising results in animal models.

The performance of the concept tests that have demonstrated the in vivo efficacy of these drugs has been possible thanks to different sources of funding, including the VALTEC grant from ACC1Ó and the Valuation Projects Programme of the Santander Bank-UB, managed by the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation. The Bosch i Gimpera Foundation also collaborated in the creation of the spin-off and in the initial consulting for the business project. ImmunNovative Developments was the first finalist in the latest edition of the BioEmprendedorXXI award.