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PerioTrap Pharmaceuticals, an i&i Prague Supported Start-up, Raises €3M Seed Round to Develop Selective Anti-infectives to Tackle Periodontitis Although periodontitis represents a widespread infectious disease affecting around 30% of the global population, there is no effective treatment for patients available, yet. PerioTrap Pharmaceuticals, a Fraunhofer IZI spin-off, has developed a novel treatment strategy that allows the specific eradication of the major bacterial pathogens of periodontitis and therefore the root of the disease. With the help of bmp Ventures AG via the IBG-Fonds, i&i Prague, Fraunhofer Venture and a strategic partner, the biotech company further proceeds its drug development programs. A world without effective antibiotics becomes an increasingly realistic scenario. Worldwide, 700,000 people annually die of multi-resistant strains against which no antibiotic is effective. There are only few new developments while many of the major pharmaceutical companies have completely abandoned the anti-infective field. The expensive development and the prospect of a drug that can be used solely restrictively seem to make the antibiotics business model unattractive. The valuable reserves that are still available are, therefore, being used even more sparingly. Based on the current austerities caused by a global viral pandemic, the future projections of this solo-economic driven development materialize at a great pace. With its new drug and innovative application procedure, PerioTrap Pharmaceuticals GmbH could not only drastically reduce the need for antibiotics. Additionally, with its selective mechanism that targets the major pathogens directly at the site of infection – the oral cavity – chronic conditions may be overcome while simultaneously reducing systemic side effects. The key element of this strategy is an enzyme called glutaminyl cyclase (QC) type II, which is exclusively present within pathogenic bacteria of the oral biofilm with Porphyromonas gingivalis being the main catalyst of the disease. The seed investment will be used for PerioTrap’s lead compound optimization and to progress its new prolonged-release pharmaceutical composition through clinical testing and to apply for subsequent market approval. „We are looking forward to working with this experienced team of drug developers and to particularly make a contribution to such a socially relevant technology area in this financing round“. Andreas van Bon, responsible managing partner at bmp Ventures AG “Periodontitis constitutes a condition of high medical need for which on the contrary hasn’t been any innovation made available in the last decade. Consequently, this investment not only fuels the long neglected therapeutic market segment within the dental realm, but most importantly restores patient confidence.” Pierre Tangermann, Managing Director at PerioTrap Pharmaceuticals As a result of a pan-European project under the FP7 umbrella, PerioTrap is based on an international network and excellent science including the Institute of Microbiology at the Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow (Prof. Jan Potempa), the Institute of Periodontology at the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Bern (Prof. Sigrun Eick) and the Pharmaceutical Technology Research Group at the Institute of Pharmacy at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (Prof. Karsten Mäder). This leading scientific network will be further expanded. About the IBG Funds The IBG funds based in Magdeburg are the venture capital funds of the State of Saxony-Anhalt. The IBG funds provide equity capital to innovative companies with sustainable and above-average growth potential and a domicile/ operation in Saxony-Anhalt. At the beginning of 2017, IBG launched the new risk capital fund RKF III with a volume of EUR 84 million. The fund is financed by funds from the state and the European Union and invests in innovative companies in Saxony-Anhalt in the business phases of seed, start-up and growth. The IBG funds are managed by bmp Ventures AG. About bmp Ventures With an experience background of over 250 investments from almost all technology segments, most of which are in the early stages, bmp is one of the most experienced venture capital investors in Germany. In addition to direct investments, bmp has also managed venture capital funds for KfW Bankengruppe and DEG – Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft. bmp currently manages the IBG funds in Saxony-Anhalt and the Frühphasenfonds Brandenburg. bmp has around 20 employees in Berlin and Magdeburg. About Fraunhofer Venture Fraunhofer Venture is the central department for spin-offs and investment management of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and offers founders, start-ups, Fraunhofer Institutes, industry, and investors access to the cutting-edge technologies of the 74 Fraunhofer Institutes, the Fraunhofer infrastructure and Fraunhofer know-how with over 7,000 patent families. The range of services includes complete support and consulting from the idea to the founding of a company, active participation management of Fraunhofer participations, support with finding investors up to a possible sale of the company and is flanked by the AHEAD company builder as well as other offerings.

UCT Prague, a Czech leading chemistry-focused University, entered in memorandum with i&i Prague, s.r.o. We are very proud to announce that at the end of 2020 i&i Prague, s.r.o. started cooperation with one of the top Czech Universities focused on natural sciences: University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague – Všcht . This cooperation will allow us to effectively support their research and possible spin-offs. Right now we support two great scientific UCT projects and we expect a lot from both of them. Check our webpage and social media for more updates about these as soon as possible! Read more and learn more on UCT Prague webpage

CasInvent Pharma receives the Neuron Award for excellent Technology Transfer The laureates of the prestigious Neuron Awards in 2021 have been announced. Since 2009, the Neuron Endowment Fund has been rewarding the first-class Czech researchers for their contributions to science. For the first time this year, the Neuron Award has also been given for the collaboration of academic researchers and industrial partners. The award recognized Vítězslav Bryja, Kamil Paruch and Radoslav Trautmann for the close collaboration between the Masaryk University in Brno (MU) and the incubator and investor i&i Prague, and for their work on the establishment of the spin-off company CasInvent Pharma . Masaryk University, the second largest university in the Czech Republic, is one of the foremost research-oriented Czech universities. i&i Prague is a biotech incubator and hub in the Central European Region, scouting and supporting projects with excellent innovative potential in the fields of MedTech, Diagnostics and Drug Discovery. These two well-known organizations have joined forces working on the establishment of CasInvent Pharma, one of the first spin-offs of its kind, to enable further development of small-molecule compounds with anticancer properties. The core of the technology licensed to CasInvent from MU is a proprietary class of highly potent and selective inhibitors of casein kinases 1. These compounds are being developed for the treatment of selected types of leukemias, lymphomas and solid tumors. The entire team of CasInvent Pharma, including the laureates Vítězslav Bryja, Kamil Paruch, Radoslav Trautmann and further composed of Pavlína Janovská (MU) and David Stíbal (i&i Prague) is currently progressing their lead compound through the advanced stages of preclinical development.

We are i&i Prague, a biotech incubator and venture builder located right in the heart of Europe. Our objective is to identify the potential of new inventions in Drug Discovery, Diagnostics, MedTech and other Life Science fields. i&i Prague Let your invention grow! We are a biotech incubator and venture builder, helping groundbreaking ideas leap from lab to market. We focus on innovations in drug development, diagnostics, medical technologies, and other life sciences , specialising in supporting start-ups in the early stages of their development . We provide expert consulting in scientific, legal, business, and other areas essential for the successful growth of new companies. We build a unique network of startups, investors, industrial partners, and biotechnology experts, enabling effective collaboration and knowledge sharing. Our support For scientists who want to commercialise their innovations, we offer step-by-step support in setting up a company. Our incubation program includes the following support: MARKET INFORMATION Get relevant market analysis & market need. INDUSTRY INTEREST Gain early-on industry feedback. INITIAL FUNDING Obtain the initial funding for your startup. INVESTOR CONTACTS Be ready to meet your first investors. Read more Latest news PODCAST CHEMAGAZÍNtalks podcast – Jan Berka: "We held the unofficial record for the longest DNA reading." Read more BLOG Our "Swiss Journey" Continues: From CometX in Zurich to the Innovation Biotech Day 2025 in Prague Read more PRESS RELEASE i&i Prague, TUL, and the Faculty of Medicine of CU in Pilsen will support the Nanoflexion technology Read more INTERVIEW Incubation manager Kamila Burdová: "I love the feeling you get when you discover something new." Read more Our Portfolio Read more i&i Biotech Fund I In 2021, we established the i&i Biotech Fund in cooperation with the European Investment Fund. It is the venture capital firm that invests in innovative European life sciences companies focused on drug discovery, medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health. Read more Our partners ACADEMIA INVESTORS INDUSTRY/BUSINESS STAKEHOLDERS

Neuron 2024 Award for Bridging Science and Business Goes to SophoMer, s.r.o., a Startup from i&i Prague's Portfolio A team of scientists from the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IMC CAS), together with representatives from the startup SophoMer s.r.o., the i&i Prague incubator, and ELISA development, received the prestigious Neuron 2024 Award for Bridging Science and Business. The awards ceremony took place on Sunday, January 19, at the National Museum in Prague in the presence of the President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel. What Is SophoMer™ and Why Is It Groundbreaking? Reliable results in immunodiagnostic in vitro tests have traditionally relied on animal-derived proteins, such as bovine serum albumin (BSA). However, BSA does not meet the standards for Animal Component-Free (ACF) materials, which are required to contain no animal-origin components. Additionally, BSA exhibits inconsistent properties and poses a risk of pathogen transmission. These issues are resolved with the synthetic molecule SophoMer™ F10. This polymeric material eliminates the risks associated with animal-derived products and enhances the stability and performance of diagnostic tests. According to Tomáš Etrych, Head of the Biomedical Polymers Department at IMC CAS, “The collaboration between our team and SophoMer is highly beneficial for both parties, and we are thrilled that the Neuron Foundation has recognized this bridge between science and business. We believe this award will serve as an important stimulus for our future collaboration.” From Lab to Market SophoMer s.r.o. was founded in 2022 and signed a licensing agreement with IMC CAS, ELISA development, and i&i Prague in January 2023. Just two months later, the SophoMer™ F10 material was sent to customers for testing. What sets SophoMer apart is its early focus on industrial applications, addressing a clear market need from the outset. “We are validating our first polymer by co-developing diagnostic kits with the Brno-based company BioVendor, where our product, SophoMer™ F10, is used as a standard component in the kits. These valuable experiences are then applied at i&i Prague when preparing incubation plans for other projects,” explains Jiří Moos, who, along with Jan Plicka, initiated the project. Currently, four diagnostic kits are in development, with one set to hit the market soon. “In addition, we have already defined a new portfolio of innovative polymers on which we are working intensively,” notes Martin Burkhard, CEO of SophoMer s.r.o. Awards Ceremony The Neuron 2024 Award for Bridging Science and Business was received on behalf of IMC CAS by Dr. Tomáš Etrych, Head of the Biomedical Polymers Department, along with his colleagues Libor Kostka and Vladimír Šubr. SophoMer s.r.o. was represented by its CEO, Martin Burkhard, while i&i Prague was represented by its CEO, Jiří Moos, and ELISA development by Jan Plicka. SophoMer™ F10: How does it work?

Back Anchor 1 Nanofibers from Technical University of Liberec brings new hope in fight against Covid-19 Technical University of Liberec has a long and renowned history of research of nanomaterials and nonwoven cloth for various applications. The nanofibrous materials not only have unique filtration and acoustic properties, but they also have a huge potential in bio-medical purposes. Lately they´ve developed a new device which can produce advanced nanofibres using the method of AC electrospinning. The amount of produced nanofibers can be used for almost 6000 face masks per day. Moreover, it seems that efficacy of such face mask can be similar to FFP2 respirators. During current Covid-19 crisis where every possible safety device counts, this technology may be a new hope for all the first responders. Method itself was modified for the purpose directly on the TUL as a result of work of some of the biggest experts in the field. Although capacities of this temporary „manufacture“ can´t meet present demand, it shows a great dedication and willingness of briliant Czech researchers and Academia in times of need. https://youtu.be/I2UaQxR5AOM i&i Prague is very proud to be one the companies which support this technology, it´s production and distribution and we will search for more opportunities to scale up even more. https://www.rouskystulkou.org/ Anchor 2 LAM-X – light-activated nanomaterials for face-masks and respirators LAM-X a.s. is the newest company established in cooperation with i&i Prague. It develops light-activated nanomaterials which provide protection from bacteria, viruses and other pathogens. The lead product is a nanomembrane that generates singlet oxygen upon activation by visible light. LAM-X a.s. was once again great example of cooperation between academia and private sector. Its technology comes from Charles University in Prague and was established in cooperation with i&i Prague and Charles University Innovations Prague, s.r.o. after many months of incubation on 20th January 2020. LAM-X a.s. biggest advantage is that the technology doesn´t use silver ions, antibiotics nor any kind of special light. Its ability to self-sterilize also allows reuse of the membrane which decreases the amount of produced waste. The LAM-X platform technology can be used in the fight against infections that are caused by surface-transmitted pathogens found in hospitals, sanitation facilities, food and water production factories. Unlike antibiotics, which target specific cell parts, the singlet oxygen approach is quick and rather nonspecific, making it impossible for microbes to develop resistance mechanism. In response to the current #covid19 situation, the LAM-X adapted its R&D strategy and began developing self-sterilizing filters usable as “active layers” of face masks and respirators. To increase production capacity, LAM-X a.s. started cooperation with the Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation of the Technical University of Liberec. To learn more, contact their website: https://lam-x.tech/ . Anchor 3 Prague startup RIOCATH had recently entered market with its world-unique catheter RIOCATH Global, a company established in collaboration with IOCB Tech, has developed a revolutionary type of catheter based on world-unique technology applicable for all tubular medical devices. Since its birth in 2014, the Riocath team has been cooperating with the IOCB Prague Development Center (http://dc.uochb.cz/ ). The company is financed by private investors who already invested more multiple millions EUR in the invention development. i&i Prague is among shareholders and supports the Riocath team in its business development activities, IPR protection and partnering. One of the first clinically significant applications of the RIOCATH technology is Rectal tube RIOCATH (https://www.nabolavebrisko.cz/en/home-page/ ) for babies which entered a market in late 2019. Furthermore, the new urinary catheter based on the RIOCATH design and principle should enter market soon. The RIOCATH design can greatly reduce the risk of introducing infection into the body as well as the trauma of sensitive tissues, mainly faced by patients who use these devices repeatedly. The double-skinned RIOCATH catheters application ensure, that the casing of the catheter does not move through the inside (such as the urethra) as is common with all other catheters, but the outer casing of the catheter is unpacked at the top of the catheter and gradually lengthens the wall around the perimeter. This principle prevents damages and insertion of infection in the patient body. To learn more about this company: Riocath website. Anchor 4 Enantis – first biotechnology spin-off from Masaryk University in Brno Enantis s.r.o. was founded in 2006 as the first biotechnology spin-off from Masaryk University in Brno , Czech Republic. Project went through long development and its expertise is now based on vast experience in protein science and state-of-the-art software tools. A combination which enables Enantis to provide protein engineering and production. Enantis s.r.o. now located at INBIT, biotechnology centre operated by JIC and located on Masaryk University’s campus and closely collaborate with Loschmidt Laboratories and other research institutions. They are predominantly focused on improving the poor stability eg. of fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) for research and therapeutic use. Enantis offers contract research services and licensing of their original products and the company already collaborate on the B2B level with multiple international companies. Under current difficult circumstances Enantis are one of the key suppliers of research products. They also became a member of FASTCURE (https://fastcure.net/ ) consortium recently. i&i Prague and Enantis started a collaboration in 2017 and it is based on consultations and business development support of the Enantis team. To learn more about this company: Enantis s.r.o. webpage. Anchor 5 Elphogene: non-invasive screening of patients in advanced stages of cancer Elphogene s.r.o. is a Czech spin-off company that succeeds decades of intensive research performed at Genomac research centre as well as thanks to collaborations with leading oncology centres. Using their technology oncoMonitor™ – a diagnostic tool based on so-called liquid biopsy – Elphogene brings a non-invasive screening of patients in advanced stages colorectal cancer. Biggest advantages of oncoMonitor™ technology are its speed and accuracy in diagnosing possible relaps of the tumor growth after a successful surgery. Elphogene s.r.o. has received an initial investment from i&i Prague in order to implement its oncoMonitor™ for a diagnostic monitoring screening of ctDNA in peripheral blood of patients in advanced stages of cancer. The company has been founded at the beginning of 2019 as a spin-off from the Genomac Research Institute , a leading Czech private research center widely recognized for its strong record of scientific projects in clinical cancer genomics. The purpose of the oncoMonitor™ test is a follow-up of patients in advanced stages of cancer for early detection of newly arising metastatic lesions. The technology is capable of capturing ctDNA in up to 88% of patients with advanced colorectal cancer with the presence of liver metastases which is more accurate and lacking the negative impact on health (such as radioactive doses) than current approaches (ultrasonography, magnetic resonance, and especially X-ray examination and computed tomography – CT). To learn more about this technology: elphogene.cz . Anchor 6 Czech anti-covid19 #hackathon won by two i&i Prague accelerated projects Virtual #hackathon was a national challenge for all Czech scientists, companies, students and science-enthusiasts with a simple goal: gather the best Czech bio-technologies to fight COVID-19 crisis. Finally, the top 15 projects were chosen from the wide group of participants and presented as part of yesterday’s final. Winners were chosen by a jury of experts and the first three split a prize of almost 400 000 euro donated by Hyundai Motor Czech s.r.o. and Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech s.r.o. i&i Prague can proudly announce that the first and third places were won by startups we helped to establish – DIANA Biotechnologies and LAM-X a.s. It once again shows the quality and applicability of Czech science and the need of full acceleration and technology transfer. To learn more about this competition and it´s winners, search: CzechInvest Hack The Crisis Český rozhlas Věda Výzkum iDnes The first place was won by Diana Biotechnologies ,platform technology for faster and more precise detection of the virus( https://lnkd.in/dXRi4rF ), second place was won by the project CoroVent developing ICU ventilators, and third place active sel-sterilizing nanofilters from LAM-X a.s. (https://lam-x.tech/ ). The joint fourth place was won by projects GREYCORTEX , Oxygenerator, Kaleido, Flying Kale , FreMEn and Hunter Games, s.r.o. . Anchor 7 DIANA Biotechnologies – technology that raised EUR 3M in 3 years DIANA Biotechnologies started as a project of a PhD. student at IOCB. After less than 3 years of pre-seed incubation it developed into an independent biotech company, with their own laboratories, impressive portfolio of projects and products and stable venture capital funding. The technology originated from IOCB lab and its incubation has been supported by IOCB Tech, the Technology transfer office. The company has been established in summer of 2018 thanks to raising of EUR 3 m from BPD Partners investorsand it is further supported by i&i Prague team. DIANA is a multi-well plate assay, where target protein is selectively captured to the solid carrier and then bound by a unique detection probe consisting of a small-molecule ligand linked to a DNA-oligonucleotide. Subsequently, the probe is detected and quantified by qPCR. For drug discovery, the assay utilizes competition between the probe and the test compounds to measure their binding affinity. DIANA is a platform technology and its applications are effectively developed and used for both, super-sensitive Diagnostics (both for research use and clinical applications) and effective Drug discovery (high throughput screening , affinity measurements and selectivity profiling , assay development , lead compound optimization, ADME pharmacology ). To learn more about this technology: dianabiotech.com . Anchor 8 DRACEN Pharmaceuticals – Novel glutamine antagonist as anticancer therapies One of the first project i&i Prague participated in is Dracen Pharmaceuticals. Dracen itself started as an international science team at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (IOCB Prague) and Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, USA). The scientific team prepared and tested new substances for cancer treatment that are effective through stopping the metabolism of glutamine. i&i Prague joined in this spin-off company early summer of 2017 as a co-investor. This investment opportunity and quality of the technology itself attracted investors supporting the development of these new drugs in the amount of more than $40 millions including the leading investor Deerfield. Dracen is a now a private pharmaceutical company focused on treating cancers by directly shrinking tumors and remodeling the tumor microenvironment to make it more conducive to immuno-oncology approaches, to gain greater disease control, increase anti-tumor responses and extend patient survival in areas of unmet need. “Our new substances, glutamine antagonist, bypass these limitations. In order to be effective, they need to be activated first and this activation occurs primarily in cancer cells. Thus in healthy tissue these substances remain largely only in an inactive form,” explains Dr. Pavel Majer from IOCB Prague, whose team prepared the substances in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery team. “Together with our colleagues from Johns Hopkins, we have demonstrated that this mechanism works in a number of types of tumors implanted in mice. Since the metabolism of rodents differs significantly from human metabolism, we also had to perform a number of metabolic studies in larger mammalian species,” adds Pavel Majer. Dracen Pharmaceuticals is a great example of how an academic cooperation between renowned research facilities led to a functional spin-off which attracted major investors. Right now the Dracen Pharmaceuticals develops the lead candidate, DRP-104 on its way through the pre-clinical to clinical testing. Similarly to many patients, we believe they will reach another milestone soon.To learn more about this technology: www.dracenpharma.com . Anchor 9 LAM-X a.s. is collaborating with TUL to develop active nanofilters against COVID-19 During COVID-19 crisis we embrace our startups to answer current questions and solve present problems. Our the most recently established startup – LAM-X, a.s. – is not an exception. LAM-X a.s., a technological spin-off of the Charles University and the Czech Academy of Sciences, joined forces with the Technical University of Liberec (TUL) in the fight against COVID-19. Their common goal is to develop active nanofilters that not only capture but also actively remove viral particles. The nanofilters will be useful as part of face masks and respirators. In response to the current situation, the LAM-X adapted its R&D strategy and began developing self-sterilizing filters usable as “active layers” of face masks and respirators. To increase production capacity, LAM-X, an academic spin-off, started cooperation with the Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation of the Technical University of Liberec. This institute is known for its excellent expertise in the production of nanomaterials. “Cooperation with the academic environment is and will undoubtedly be very important for our company. After all, the LAM-X proprietary technology is based on many years of research by the academic group of Associate Professor Jiří Mosinger from the Faculty of Science of the Charles University,” said Dr. Chaloupka, the CEO of the company.“We believe that by starting cooperation with the Technical University of Liberec, the technology will be prepared faster for the industrial production”, mentioned Dr. Barbora Šumová, the board member representing company’s financial investor i&i Prague s.r.o She added: “Currently, there are almost no nanotechnologies that would offer active elimination of viral particles and those existing differ greatly in their effectiveness. To ensure high quality and smooth certification process, we therefore want to first thoroughly test our material in cooperation with the academic and private sectors.” The use of LAM-X nanofilters offers additional added value. The amount of healthcare waste produced during this crisis will represent a significant economic and environmental burden on society. LAM-X self-sterilizing nanomaterials, that are intended for reuse, could at least partially alleviate this undesirable situation. To learn more about this interesting project, contact barbora.sumova@lam-x.tech . Anchor 10 License for use of iBodies® bought by Immunotech, a member of the Beckman Coulter group! The Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB Prague), the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IMC), and Charles University have signed a licensing agreement with the company Immunotech, a member of the Beckman Coulter group, for the use of iBodies®, a joint technology for measuring free testosterone in blood. The new iBodies provide an alternative to the radioactive tracer method, thus simplifying the measurement of free testosterone in clinical laboratories. Measuring free testosterone is important in determining the correct therapy for a number of health problems and serious diseases. In women, for example, it is measured in cases of menstrual disorders and conception problems. In men, it can help identify the causes of obesity, erectile dysfunction, depression, sleep disorders, and osteoporosis. The actual measuring, however, is complicated: the amount of free testosterone is either inaccurately derived from overall levels of testosterone in the blood, or it is measured using radioactive tracers, which provide accurate results but also present a variety of complications arising from the use of radioactive material, among them its relatively low stability.Typically used as synthetic antibody substitutes, iBodies are complex molecules that enable imaging of specific proteins on the surface of cells. “The iBodies molecules constitute a fully synthetic system based on a water-soluble polymer that forms a basic backbone. Other components are added to this polymer backbone, such as a fluorescent label, an affinity tag, and the specific ligand responsible for detecting free testosterone. Choosing the right individual components lets us prepare iBodies with great variability for a wide range of biochemical applications,” says Vladimír Šubr of IMC. In this case, iBodies are being used for the very first time as so-called tracers, i.e. nonradioactively labelled molecules that can be detected with a high degree of accuracy, making it possible to derive free testosterone levels. Therefore, iBodies represent a key component that facilitates sensitive detection of free testosterone. “The license is evidence of the broad scope of applications that our iBodies technology offers, and in areas we hadn’t originally considered and where application hadn’t occurred to us,” says Jan Konvalinka of IOCB Prague in discussing the new use for iBodies. “This is only the beginning – we’re working toward the application of our technology in other fields, too." The results of the new iBodies, their sensitivity, and their long-term stability caught the attention of the Beckman Coulter group, which, with the license, will use them as an important component for its new nonradioactive (ELISA) kit for determination of free testosterone and will add them to its standard in vitro kits for clinical laboratory diagnostics. What are iBodies? iBodies® (www.ibodies.eu ) were developed by Pavel Šácha, Tomáš Knedlík, and others in the laboratory of Jan Konvalinka at IOCB Prague and Charles University in collaboration with the team of Vladimír Šubr of the Department of Biomedical Polymers, headed by Tomáš Etrych, at the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences. iBodies comprise a polymer backbone with a small organic molecule bound to it that can bind to the target receptor of tested cells. A component of the complex is a molecule that serves as an anchor for use in various separation techniques and, in some cases, also a fluorescent label facilitating imaging of iBodies with various laboratory methods. All this together gives the technology considerable potential for use in clinical laboratories, either as substitutes for nonsynthetic antibodies that are otherwise not readily available, or as tracers for measurement. Development of a free testosterone determination kit Development of a kit for the determination of free testosterone began in 2017 with collaboration between the company Immunotech and the Department of Advanced Materials and Organic Synthesis at the Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the Czech Academy of Sciences as part of grant project of the Ministry of Industry and Trade FV20061. To improve the characteristics of the proposed kit, work was undertaken in 2018 between the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Vladimír Šubr, Libor Kostka), the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Pavel Šácha, Natan Sidej), and the companies IOCB Tech and i&i Prague (Jiří Moos, Jan Plicka) on development of a technology for measuring free testosterone using iBodies, which was completed at the beginning of 2020. Correlational studies and tests of several hundred samples have demonstrated that ELISA technology using iBodies is more sensitive than commercially available kits with radioactive testosterone. Another significant advantage of the new iBodies is their long-term functional stability as compared with radioactive or protein-based tracers. Anchor 11 iBodies – synthetic antibodies from Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS iBodies is a project originated at IMC , IOCB and Charles University, which is currently under a pre-seed incubation. The iBodies team focuses on development of the novel macromolecules designed to substitute antibodies in common biochemical methods. Use of such substitutes was successfully tested for wide range of laboratory methods: ELISA, flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, Western Blotting, protein immobilization and immunoprecipitation methods. i&i Prague team supports iBodies in business development activities, including a search for potential business partners, co-developers, or iBodies-technology applications with strong market potential. During the last three years, i&i Prague helped iBodies to start multiple collaborative projects and finalized several out-licensing deals. These synthetic antibody mimetics consist of N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymer backbone decorated with low-molecular-weight functional groups: a targeting ligand, an affinity anchor and an imaging probe. In theory, iBodies can be custom designed towards any protein of interest (provided a ligand is known) and tailored based on the intended applications. Moreover, iBodies are highly stable, easy to prepare and modify, can target via an active site which allows them to target groups of homologous proteins and many more advantages. To discover actual products and possibilities, search https://www.ibodies.eu/ . Anchor 12 iBodies established cooperation with Ximbio, a TTO within the UK’s largest charity, Cancer Research UK Project iBodies , supported by IOCB Tech and i&i Prague, is focused on developing novel macromolecules designed to fully substitute antibodies in common biochemical methods. Recently, iBodies established a cooperation with the world´s largest non-profit organization focused on life-science research tools of all kinds – Ximbio . Ximbio is a UK based technology-transfer company within the charity Cancer Research UK , which is the largest charitable funder of cancer research in the world. Ximbio’s goal is to make life science research tools widely and easily available all around the world (such as small molecule tool compounds, antibodies, cell lines, proteins, animal models). Ximbio can manage the whole commercialisation of these research tools on behalf of its partner research institutes (providing storage, production, quality control and execution of licence/sales agreements and transfer of material to its global network of both industry and academic scientists). Any revenue Ximbio generates is shared back to the iBodies inventors and their respective research institutes. Including iBodies in their portfolio shows not only the quality of the technology, but again makes this unique, flexible platform available for even more laboratory applications all around the world. In theory, iBodies synthetic antibodies can be custom designed towards any protein of interest (provided a ligand is known), tailored based on the intended applications and used in various methods such as ELISA, flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, Western Blotting, protein immobilization and immunoprecipitation methods. In general, these iBodies can target a specific protein such as neuraminidase, GCPII, HIV-1, FAP, CA-IX or can be used for broader spectra of proteins such as His-tagged or GST-tagged proteins. Specifically, anti-neuraminidase iBody , anti-glutamate carboxypeptidase (GCPII) iBody , anti-HIV-1 protease iBody , anti-fibroblast activation protein (FAP) iBody , anti-carbonic anhydrase IX (CA-IX) iBody , anti-HIS tag iBody , anti-GST tag iBody and a negative control iBody are all available online now – HERE. Anchor 13 LAM-X: revolutionary wound-treating nanomaterials Story of LAM-X technology is a perfect example of our work in i&i Prague. For the last year our expert Investment manager Barbora Šumová entered project called LAM-X: light activated nanomaterials providing protection from bacteria, viruses and other patogenes. In cooperation with the university of origin (Charles University, Prague and CUIP) and the inventor doc. RNDr. Jiří Mosinger, PhD., Barbora helped LAM-X reach all milestones, build a proper business plan, set up a functional team and, finally, launched this advanced technology as a Start-up. Company itself was established on 20th February 2020. LAM-X is now a fully functional biotechnology company, it´s lead product is a nanomembrane that generates singlet oxygen upon activation by visible light. The clinical study on patients suffering from ulcers proved the efficacy of the LAM-X membrane. This platform technology can be used in the fight against infections that are caused by surface-transmitted pathogens found in hospitals, sanitation facilities, food and water production factories. Unlike antibiotics, which target specific cell parts, the singlet oxygen approach is quick and rather nonspecific, making it impossible for microbes to develop resistance mechanism. It can provide solution in countries, where sanitary conditions complicate even the simpliest medical interventions as well as it answers the general demand for non-antibiotic treatment, too. Anchor 14 Elphogene in World Journal of Gastroenterology Another great achievement for one of our projects! Prague-based biotechnological start-up Elphogene is a progressive, young company focused on monitoring of patients in advanced stages colorectal cancer. With an initial investment from i&i Prague, Elphogene was able to implement its oncoMonitor™, a liquid biopsy technology into a commercial assay for non-invasive diagnostic monitoring of patients. The company has been founded at the beginning of 2019 as a spin-off from the Genomac Research Institute. Since then, oncoMonitor™ technology was widely mentioned in major Czech Scientific and Public media and now it´s methods and results were published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology. Congratulations! We believe it will introduce this idea to even more patients and doctors worldwide. The article can be found under the title: Significance of postoperative follow-up of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer using circulating tumor DNA. As a short disclaimer; short abstract of this article mentioned: One of the most notable applications for circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) detection in peripheral blood of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is a long-term postoperative follow-up. Sometimes referred to as a “liquid (re)biopsy” it is a minimally invasive procedure and can be performed repeatedly at relatively short intervals (months or even weeks). The presence of the disease and the actual extent of the tumor burden (tumor mass) within the patient’s body can be monitored. This is of particular importance, especially when evaluating radicality of surgical treatment as well as for early detection of disease progression or recurrence. Aim is to confirm the radicality of surgery using ctDNA and compare available methods for detection of recurrence in metastatic colorectal cancer. Among the monitored patients, the R0 (curative) resection correlated with postoperative ctDNA negativity in 26 out of 28 cases of surgical procedures (26/28, 93%). In the remaining cases of R0 surgeries that displayed ctDNA, both patients were diagnosed with a recurrence of the disease after 6 months. In 7 patients who underwent an R1 resection, 4 ctDNA positivities (4/7, 57%) were detected after surgery and associated with the confirmation of early disease recurrence (after 3 to 7 months). All 15 patients (15/15, 100%) undergoing R2 resection remained constantly ctDNA positive during the entire follow-up period. In 22 cases of recurrence, ctDNA positivity was detected 22 times (22/22, 100%) compared to 16 positives (16/22, 73%) by imaging methods and 15 cases (15/22, 68%) of elevated tumor markers. CONCLUSION ctDNA detection in patients with mCRC is a viable tool for early detection of disease recurrence as well as for confirmation of the radicality of surgical treatment. Anchor 15 LAM-X: the spin-off accelerated by i&i Prague in Media One of the first project i&i Prague participated in is Dracen Pharmaceuticals. Dracen itself started as an international science team at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (IOCB Prague) and Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, USA). The scientific team prepared and tested new substances for cancer treatment that are effective through stopping the metabolism of glutamine. Founding of LAM-X, a.s. , the newest company accelerated by i&i Prague and Charles University Innovations Prague, s.r.o. was met with both interest and positive feedback from Czech national media. Company was established on 20th January 2020 and since then 17 articles in the best and most read Czech media were published about it. The LAM-X platform technology can be used in the fight against infections that are caused by surface–transmitted pathogens found in hospitals, sanitation facilities, food and water production factories. The lead product is a nanomembrane that generates singlet oxygen upon activation by visible light. This membrane can have a wide usage as preventive wound dressing which can help reduce amount of antibiotic resistence. The clinical study on patients suffering from ulcers proved the efficacy of the LAM-X membrane. The list of media, where LAM-X was mentioned, is rather wide (dispclaimer: articles are mostly in Czech): Věda a Výzkum Česká věda do světa Lidové noviny iRozhlas Česká rozhlas Charles University in Prague Charles University in Prague – the Tarantula Blesk Muzeum CUNI Týden.cz ČtiDoma.cz iDnes.cz TV iDnes České Novinky MF Dnes We are very proud that this technology was met with such and interest and we believe it will once again inform public about quality of Czech Science. More about LAM-X technology and their products on: https://lam-x.tech/ or https://www.linkedin.com/company/lam-x/about/ Anchor 16 Elphogene – liquid biopsy assay for non-invasive monitoring of patients with colorectal cancer Another one of successful projects supported by i&i Prague is the Prague-based biotechnological start-up Elphogene, Inc. Its oncoMonitor™, a liquid biopsy technology, was recently turned into a commercial assay for non-invasive diagnostic monitoring of patients in advanced stages colorectal cancer. Elphogene, Inc. has been founded at the beginning of 2019 as a spin-off from the Genomac Research Institute , and it´s launch was widely covered by media alike the most recent launch: LAM-X . Prague, 13th June 2019 – A team of Czech scientists from the Elphogene company presents a unique diagnostic method called oncoMonitor™, which offers cancer survivors an improvement in regular control screening aimed at the verification of their treatment’s success or timely detection of the disease’s reoccurrence. The Prague-based biotechnological start-up Elphogene has received an initial investment from i&i Prague in order to implement its oncoMonitor™, a liquid biopsy technology into a commercial assay for non-invasive diagnostic monitoring of patients in advanced stages colorectal cancer. This method brings a key benefit of personalized testing to detect potential new metastases and the timely option to select further treatment. “We have completed pilot studies demonstrating the analytical sensitivity of the oncoMonitor™ assay, and the data were presented at the annual conference of American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in Atlanta, USA, in April. We are very happy with the results of this test, which can be applied universally to various forms of solid tumours, and currently we are initiating clinical validation in cooperation with leading domestic oncological centres,” says Dr. Marek Minárik, Co-Founder and General Manager of Elphogene. The company has been founded earlier this year as a spin-off from the Genomac research institute, a leading Czech private research center widely recognized for its strong record of scientific projects in clinical cancer genomics. Originally developed at Genomac and now exclusively owned by Elphogene, the oncoMonitor™ liquid biopsy technology, will further be developed and validated in clinical setting at company headquarters and laboratories located near Prague Vaclav Havel airport in Ruzyne. The initial investment was provided by the i&i Prague company, which is a leading Central European biotechnological incubator and investment centre providing financial support to promising projects in the field of living-nature science, biotechnology and modern medicine. “Liquid biopsy is a newly emerging field with fascinating growth potential, destined to fundamentally change modern medicine from diagnostics to therapy. We have been following the oncoMonitor™ technology for some time and we are now excited to collaborate with the team at Elphogene in its clinical implementation“ says Dr. Jaromir Zahradka, the CEO and a co-founder of i&i Prague. In the long run, the Czech Republic has been occupying leading places in patients with colorectal carcinoma. Thanks to extensive campaigns aimed at the importance of screening and early detection of colorectal carcinoma, the number of patients who lose their fight with this insidious disease has been dropping. On the other hand, there is an ongoing lack of non-invasive methods which help post-op detection of recurring cancer activity and prolonging the lives of patients in advanced stages of the disease. According to the available data from the National Cancer Registry, a total of 7800 patients was newly diagnosed with colorectal carcinoma in 2016, 1508 of which suffered verifiably from advanced stages with the occurrence of metastases. In the same year, almost 4 thousand patients succumbed to this disease. To compare the occurrence of colorectal carcinoma in Europe, according to the 2018 data by Globocan, the Czech Republic takes the 15th place in the number of newly diagnosed cases and the 18th place in death rate. In a whole-world comparison, it takes the 23rd place in newly diagnosed cases and the 22nd place in death rate. Colorectal cancer usually appears in older patients, and in the Czech Republic, colorectal carcinoma is a more frequent phenomena in men. A novel early cancer diagnostics method has been developed at University of Pardubice, partnered with i&i Prague Pancreatic cancer is one of the most dangerous and most aggressive types of cancer. According to recent data, the twelfth most common malignant disease in the world. It is also associated with a high mortality rate, and it is the seventh of the most common causes of deaths for both sexes in cancer in general. In addition, the incidence has increased in recent years and can be expected to move to the third position ahead of breast cancer. Scientific teams around the world are looking for methods for early diagnostics of cancer. Among these is the team of Prof. Michal Holčapek of the University of Pardubice. „We have developed new methods for the lipidomic analysis of body fluids, predominantly blood, which distinguish patients with several types of cancer from healthy volunteers. We are currently working on pancreatic cancer data, where early diagnosis in early stages is the only chance for survival,“ described Prof. Holčapek the goal of the project. The research project of Prof. Holčapek has been awarded the European Research Council (ERC) grant and has been financially supported by the Ministry of Education of the Czech republic. Recently, the University of Pardubice has signed the memorandum with Czech Biotech incubator i&i Prague establishing a strategic collaboration towards further commercial development of the technology in order to introduce the novel diagnostic methods into the world market. i&i Prague is going to support the project with 20k EUR in the very first phase to ensure the business plan development and to cover further analyses to verify the commercial potential of the method and develop solid patent protection of the technology. i&i Prague incubator support „Ones we are able to confirm the potential of the technology, we are ready to invest up to 200k EUR in this project and invite further co-investors,“ commented Jaromír Zahrádka, CEO of i&i Prague, adding at the same time: “Prof. Holčapek’s project is a world-class science. However, it need to be properly developed to become the comprehensible and ready-made business opportunity for investors and corporate partners. This is a necessary step to offer this promising technology to patients in future". „The accuracy of our method is more than 90% for the very first stage of pancreatic cancer. However, the accuracy of other state-of-the-art and promising method was reported to be only 43%, according to the results published in Science magazine. The high accuracy of the method for early stages is a key parameter. Early diagnostics in oncology is crucial to improving patient prognosis and increasing survival chances, “ commented further Prof. Holcapek a key competitive advantage of his technology.The project is currently undergoing the clinical testing and beside the pancreatic cancer detection, highly promising results has been obtained for other cancer types which uncovered a potential for further exploitation of the technology. Biotechnology Incubator i&i Prague supports projects by scientists and researchers focusing on technologies in medicine, biotechnology, diagnostics and drug development. It takes care of the business part of the projects, leads and plans their business direction, looks for partners and takes care of technological marketing. The full press release can be found here . DIANA Biotechnologies, a novel startup in the i&i Prague´s academic incubator A new startup, DIANA Biotechnologies , has been founded at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB Prague). This unique technology created by postgraduate student Václav Navrátil has the potential to significantly improve disease diagnostics and accelerate the development of new drugs. The startup has earned the trust of investors, who are putting more than 3 million EUR into the project. A PhD graduate, Václav Navrátil has developed together with his colleagues a technology known as DIANA, or DNA-linked Inhibitor Antibody Assay. The unique method allows for ultrasensitive quantification of enzymes and other proteins in a solution, e.g. human blood, urine, or saliva. In practice, it should help doctors diagnose certain diseases (cancer and various infectious diseases, for instance) at an earlier stage than is possible with existing methods. Moreover, it enables screening of large numbers of chemical substances for enzyme inhibitors and the identification of suitable compounds for further development as drug candidates. DIANA Biotechnologies is being set up with the support from the academic incubator of biotechnologies i&i Prague as well as from investors at bpd partners, who plan to provide over 3 million EUR in the next few years. The DIANA technology was developed at IOCB Prague. The institute is known for its efforts to systematically advance the results of basic research applicable in practice and facilitate their transition to the world of business, which is overseen by the institute’s subsidiary IOCB Tech (formerly IOCB TTO). The quality and potential of the DIANA project is reflected in the prestigious Werner von Siemens Award for the most significant result in the field of development and innovation, which was recently awarded to Navrátil and his team. The full press release can be found here . Novel partnership for iBodies has been facilitated by i&i Prague and IOCB Tech managers The Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry (IMC) of the Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS) in cooperation with the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS (IOCB Prague) are moving ahead together in intensive research of synthetic antibody mimetics called iBodies®. They have just commenced cooperation with the International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute (ICCI). In the future, newly prepared iBodies® should serve in clinical diagnostics, e.g. histological staining of tissues. The partnership has been facilitated by our colleague Jiri Moos, who supports iBodies project management and business development. Congratulations! For the full press release, click here . Revolutionary type of catheter raised €2 million from private investors Czech company Riocath Global has introduced a worldwide unique technology applicable to tubular medical devices. This revolutionary technology has been patented and developed in collaboration with the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB Prague ). The urinary catheter is one of the first clinically significant applications. The clinical trials will begin by the end of this year. The RIOCATH® (Reversal Inside-Out CATHetrisation) design greatly reduces the risk of introducing bacterial infection into the body. The current catheter is carrying on its surface microbes from the urethra tip as it makes its way through the urethra. Another danger is the damage to sensitive tissues caused by the insertion of current catheters. The new type of RIOCATH® urinary catheter will be of great benefit to a broad spectrum of patients. Reduction in bacterial infections should contribute significantly to reducing the need for antibiotic treatment. All of this should contribute to significant savings in the health care system and more comfortable patient care. “Unlike old catheters whose casing rubs on the urethra´s wall during insertion, the new technology allows for the catheter to extend by unfolding itself from the inside out, virtually imitating a snail´s eye stalk,” explains Miroslav Svoboda, MD, the project initiator, co-inventor and the CEO of Riocath Global. “Upon completion of clinical trials and marketing of the catheter, the estimated value of the company will grow to tens of millions of euros. Apart from urinary catheters, the principal can be used in a number of other applications which are part of the company´s development portfolio with the considerable market and therapeutic potential,” comments on the importance of the patented technology Jaromír Zahrádka, PhD., the CEO of i&i Prague and a member of the board of directors of the Riocath Global. responsible for the intellectual property protection. The first product market entry is expected in 2019. The full press release can be found here . Startup Riocath is among Hello Tomorrow’s top 500 stratups in the world Hello Tomorrow, which recently partnered with i&i Prague to advance its mission of fostering advancements in deep technology startups and businesses, will hold its global summit in Paris on 14-15 March. As part of the summit program, Hello Tomorrow highlights 500 of the most outstanding startups in the field of deep technology. This year’s top 500 selection includes another of i&i Prague’s very successful partners, Riocath, a company specializing in tubular medical devices. Included with this honour is the opportunity for Riocath to compete for one of the limited showcase positions at Hello Tomorrow Global Summit 2019 . i&i Prague became a shareholder in the spin-off XENO Cell Innovations! XENO Cell Innovations is a young, progressing company based in Pilsen, Czech Republic. It is focused mostly on bio-computing – capturing complex biological system in images, combining creative microscopy with a little narration and a lot of imagination to make more visible the amazing potential of computing in liquid media. Their technology is able to link up to biological objects generating a coherent intelligible interface. It self-assembles into computational clusters and processes information locally within these clusters. Rather than relying on brute-force screening, the linked biological sample reports on itself. Categorically, a cluster is a physically connected network made up of genetically engineered yeast, linkers, enzymes, and other chemical modifiers. Clusters are not prefabricated. They self-assemble around objects with specific immunological profiles. By fusing different fluorescent labels to different yeast strains, the makeup of a cluster can in part be made visible. We, the i&i Prague, had this great opportunity to offer our services to this project and helped its creators reach their goal. Now, with the company established, we became a proud shareholder! The motto of XENO Cell Innovations is: „Many foundational problems in diagnostics and bioengineering are solvable if biology could just do more of the work. But current biotech isn’t smart enough. We are interested in changing the status quo by systematizing biologic units and constructing modular composition rules“.To find out more about this growing company, SEARCH: https://xenocells.com/ i&i Prague co-invested Dracen Pharmaceuticals, a company developing a novel oncology treatment i&i Prague has co-invested in a new oncology project. The development of novel glutamine antagonist prodrugs is supported with a total investment of $40.5 million. The international team of scientists from Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Science (IOCB Prague ) and Johns Hopkins University (JHU ) has prepared and tested a new substance for cancer treatment. The aim is to stop the cancer growth by cutting out the glutamine supply necessary for the viability of cancer cells. The novel glutamine antagonist prodrug was prepared at the IOCB Prague. Further clinical development will be led by a biotech company Dracen Pharmaceuticals , formed recently with the support of both IOCB Prague and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. The phase I clinical studies of the new substances should begin in the first half of 2019. The potential of the new therapy is highlighted by the fact that the company has closed a $40.5 million financing round led by Deerfield Management. The full Press Release can be found here . i&i Prague is joining Hello Tomorrow Ecosystem, a global community boosting deep technology-based start-ups In mid-June 2018 a new partnership has been established between a Prague-based company focused on central and east European biotech start-ups in the early stage of development and a global organisation which gives a platform for deep technology-based start-ups all over the world, Hello Tomorrow. i&i Prague has joined the Ecosystem Partners of Hello Tomorrow , which aims to connect current and future start-ups coming from the i&i Prague´s incubator to the global start-up scene and increase their visibility, e.g. by participating in the Global Challenge and other activities organized by Hello Tomorrow. Additionally, the collaboration will help Hello Tomorrow and its partners to connect and tap into unsuspected opportunities and projects in biotech and deep technologies originating in central and east Europe. About Hello Tomorrow Hello Tomorrow is a non-profit organisation bringing together a community of actors aiming to unlock the potential of deep technologies to solve the world’s toughest challenges. They source deeptech projects and startups and facilitate collaboration between entrepreneurs, industries and investors in order to propel innovation from the lab to the market. Hello Tomorrow organises startup competitions, mentorship programs and a series of events around the world, as well as educating and consulting relevant stakeholders on emergence of deep technologies. Hello Tomorrow is fast becoming a key reference platform in deeptech innovation and entrepreneurship. i&i Prague successfully mediated an out-licensing of antibodies from IMG A strategic business collaboration of Institute of Molecular Genetics of the CAS and i&i Prague has been established recently, in October 2017. Despite it is still fresh, this partnership showed its promising potential within first months. Our very first collaborative effort resulted in out-licensing of one of the IMG assets to an international pharmaceutical company. Institute of Molecular Genetics is one of the top Czech Biotech institutes and the scientists are doing world class research. However, the highest quality of their work has not been fully recognized by companies and investors yet. Since we had a chance to screen full portfolio of IMG projects, we are sure further successful deals with companies and investors should follow quickly. Congratulations and we look for further great deals for IMG! Anchor 17 Anchor 18 Anchor 19 Anchor 20 Anchor 21 Anchor 22 Anchor 23 Anchor 24 Anchor 25

Green chemistry start-up Sulfotools closes seed round with i&i Prague. Darmstadt (Germany) 21.04.2021 – Peptides, small proteins with a broad range of biological properties, are used as active ingredients in many different products, e.g. as therapeutics (cancer treatment), in cosmetics (anti-aging products) or nutrition products. However, only few people are aware that the chemical production of such compounds is associated with immense consumption of toxic solvents and CO2 emission. Sulfotools GmbH, as spin-off of Technical University of Darmstadt, has developed a sustainable chemical peptide production method using water instead of toxic solvents, the Clean Peptide Technology (CPT). Together with the Czech biotech incubator & investor i&i Prague, Sulfotools will commercialize its technology to make peptide production more sustainable and eco-friendlier. For economic reasons, the majority of marketed peptides are produced chemically via the socalled solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS, state of the art). Each year the peptide industry consumes tens of thousands tons of environmentally harmful, hazardous and expensive organic solvents for the manufacturing. Additionally, the application of such solvents is associated with significant risks for humans and the environment (immense CO2 emission). N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), the most common solvent used for peptide synthesis is toxic, teratogen and classified as Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) by the European Chemicals Directive REACh. Especially, in cosmetic peptides residues of these toxic solvents are problematic and therefore, the purification of such peptides is very cost intensive. Sulfotools Clean Peptide Technology (CPT) combines the advantages of chemical synthesis with the mild and sustainable conditions of recombinant production. It is based on novel watersoluble building blocks, the use of which allows for the complete substitution of toxic organic solvents with water during the manufacturing process. Additionally, CPT includes an efficient purification system, a simple wastewater treatment option and due to intrinsic fluorescent properties, for the first time a real-time monitoring of the reaction progress, altogether leading to cost savings of up to 50% and at the same time to an eco-friendly production. Moreover, solvent-free end products can be produced which is an immense advantage for the application in the field of cosmetics and food supplements. Especially cosmetic and nutrition companies using CPT can advertise the benefits of a sustainable production directly to their endcustomers. The Sulfotools GmbH was founded in March 2016 by an interdisciplinary team from Darmstadt, Germany, which is driven by a clear vision: The greening of chemical peptide synthesis. The idea was born during the PhD research of Sascha Knauer at the Technical University of Darmstadt and filed in as patent application. Within the Exist I and II program of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi) the Clean Peptide Technology was developed to market-readiness. This included the demonstration of the applicability of the CPT by the successful peptide syntheses used in cosmetics or pharmaceuticals as well as in feasibility studies for renowned industrial customers. Moreover, the manufacturing processes for the water-soluble building blocks were optimized and are ready for up-scale. Together with i&i Prague Sulfotools will scale-up of the manufacturing of the water-soluble building blocks and start the commercialization of the technology. (www.sulfotools.com )

< Back Martin Kovalčík Communications For almost 13 years, Martin worked as a media coordinator for the respected Czech non-profit organization, People in Need, where he was responsible for the media service for a team of 300 people. Also, he has experience working in several editorial offices. He left his most significant mark at the Metro newspaper, where he worked for over 5 years, the last two as the deputy editor-in-chief.

From the Lab to the Market: What Biotech Commercialization Looks Like from the Perspective of an Incubator How does starting a company developing a new drug differ from, for example, one focused on IT? What can convince an investor to join such a company? Why should a scientist embark on the commercialization of their discoveries? What is the paradoxical advantage of being behind the global biotech leaders in the Czech Republic? And why do you sometimes feel like a translator? Jiří Moos, director of the biotech incubator i&i Prague, answers all these questions and much more in the following interview. Your incubator specializes in biotechnology. Could you first outline the specific characteristics associated with this field? There are indeed many differences compared to other areas of business. For example, I would mention the speed of revenue generation. In other industries, this is a key criterion for assessing the value of a project. However, in the development of new drugs, this question doesn't make sense. The project is meant to be sold to a pharmaceutical company while it's still far from commercial success. The value of these projects is therefore assessed based on entirely different criteria. Other specifics involve meeting strict regulatory conditions that ensure the safety and efficacy of the developed products, medical devices, or in vitro diagnostics. Therefore, we sometimes advise our startups to consider collaborating with an industry partner experienced in regulatory processes. This can save a lot of time and money. The same applies to distribution channels, which cannot be built overnight. Also worth mentioning are the higher initial investments required for equipping a top-notch laboratory. i&i Prague supports scientific startups in the early stages of their development. Could you describe how this process works? The first step is market need analysis. We examine whether the technology solves a problem that is currently unresolved. If so, we then assess the uniqueness and the possibility of intellectual property protection. Next comes the agreement with the originators of the technology on commercialization. There are two options – we either offer it for direct licensing, or we decide to establish a startup, which will secure investment and bring the development to the point where the technology is either commercially viable or saleable to a strategic partner. If the decision is made to go with a startup, which is your area of expertise, what needs to be done to convince an investor? Without an investor, the startup will not last long. That’s true. For a startup to secure initial investment, it must demonstrate that it has a technology aimed at a product with market potential – something that people or companies will be willing to pay for. If a startup is developing medical technology, it should seek feedback from doctors and, if possible, from a relevant industry contact. This market validation should occur early, before more extensive development begins, to avoid unnecessary dead ends. Investors also focus on intellectual property protection, which must be secured so that competitors cannot easily take over the technology. The startup team is also crucial – the members must be fully committed to the project and have the necessary skills. And, of course, the quality of the business plan is important to investors as well. From what you've said so far, it seems like a very demanding and sophisticated process. Why should a young scientist even go down this path? There are two main motivations. The first is humanitarian – science should help people and society. The results of scientific work, if they remain solely in the realm of academic science, can inspire further research but will not help anyone in a real way until they reach the market as actual products. The second motivation is experience. Working in a startup provides people with invaluable knowledge that continuously moves them forward. In Germany or Austria, these individuals are among the most valuable on the job market. You often work abroad. Can you describe how we are doing in this area compared to the developed world? It probably won’t surprise anyone that we are behind countries like Germany, Austria, Israel, or the USA. However, this lag can paradoxically be an advantage because we have the opportunity to be inspired by different systems. While it's not possible to take only the best from each country and create something entirely our own, we have a chance to create a thoughtful system that avoids the mistakes of others. What would you personally bring to the Czech Republic? There are really many insights, but I would especially mention two: the approach to problems and the willingness to collaborate. In Scandinavia or Israel, the approach to business and innovation is much more positive. It would be great if we could also learn to see problems as challenges to overcome and have the State here to help, not to place obstacles. In the scientific world here, unfortunately, business is still often seen as a betrayal of science, which needs to change. Additionally, it’s essential that scientists are willing to listen and be open to collaboration with experts from other fields. What is needed to successfully connect these different worlds? It’s about understanding the different mindsets. For example, aligning expectations regarding transparency and intellectual property protection. Academic institutions have an obligation to disclose contracts and publish results, which may conflict with the caution and need for strict intellectual property protection in the business world. Long-term stability of cooperation is also important, which can sometimes be a challenge in dynamically changing teams. Properly setting up relationships and achieving balance is not easy, but it’s essential for successful collaboration. How can this be achieved? That is one of the tasks for companies like ours. Sometimes I jokingly say that working in our incubator requires not only a scientific and business background but also translator skills to ensure proper communication between the academic community and industry. Author: Martin Kovalčík

CasInvent Pharma, a New University Spin-Off Focused on Developing Cancer Drugs Established with Help of i&i Prague! A new spin-off company, CasInvent Pharma, a.s., has been established by Masaryk University (MU) in cooperation with its investment partner, i&i Prague, s.r.o. (Ltd), in order to facilitate further development of new compounds that could be used to treat certain types of leukaemia, lymphoma and solid tumours. The company will test the compounds that inhibit the enzyme Casein Kinase 1 (CK1) which is responsible, among other things, for the migration of leukaemia cells into lymphoid organs. The research groups of Vitězslav Bryja and Kamil Paruch from the Faculty of Science MU have been studying and developing these compounds for a long time now. Thanks to the newly-established company, they will be able to finish the preclinical stage of the development of these prospective drugs and move on to clinical trials of the most promising compounds. “The main reason behind establishing this spin-off company is the fact that it is virtually the only option to commercialize this technology, which is still in early stages of development, and advance the research to such stage that it catches the interest of big investors from the pharmaceutical industry,” says the director of Technology Transfer Office MU, Eva Janouškovcová, as to why the joint-stock spin-off company was established with the university as one of its stakeholders. “The i&i Prague company searchs and supports the most promising technologies and the highest quality projects. We have known for a long time that the inhibitors of CK1 are the most promising Czech projects. I am glad that Masaryk University has chosen the i&i Prague as a strategic partner for this project. I believe that we will be able to make significant progress towards clinical trials in the development of the drug, attract other co-investors and international partners and enable the practical use of these new substances as soon as possible thanks to the establishment of the CasInvent Pharma company,” said the CEO of i&i Prague, Jaromír Zahrádka. The CasInvent Pharma spin-off will continue developing the promising results of the scientific teams which led to the patenting of the inhibitors, i.e. compounds that significantly decrease or completely inhibit the activity of CK1 and can be used to treat e.g. certain types of leukaemia. More specifically, the B-Cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) and the Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML). CLL characteristically causes the accumulation of dysfunctional cancer cells in the blood and their migration to lymph nodes, liver, spleen and bone marrow, which causes further complications such as enlargement of organs, immunodeficiency, anaemia and other. The aggressiveness of the disease then depends on the interaction of these dysfunctional cells with their immediate surroundings – so-called microenvironment. This interaction leads to tumour cells dividing uncontrollably. The inhibitors of CK1 can effectively stop the migration of the leukaemia cells to lymphoid organs, which prevents them from being damaged and hinders the spreading of CLL. AML, which is one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat types of leukaemia, has CK1 working in a different way. Based on the current results, the scientists expect the new compounds to initiate programmed cell death (so-called apoptosis) in leukaemia cells. Targeting interactions in the microenvironment, regulating apoptosis and inhibiting migration mechanisms can be successfully used with other forms of cancer as well, e.g. solid tumours the growth and spreading of which often depends on roughly the same principles. CasInvent Pharma joined the ranks of the other 17 spin-off companies Masaryk University helped to establish. The purpose of these spin-off companies is mainly to utilize the university’s intellectual property and increase its value. The university grants companies intellectual property licensing agreements and, in some cases, it even owns shares of the company. As a result, the spin-off companies established by the university bring profit to all the parties involved: for the university, it is the best way to appreciate its intellectual property, the spin-off company gains a competitive advantage on the market and, last but not least, the end product reaches the consumer more quickly

We focus on unique ideas that have the potential to succeed on a global scale. We are dedicated to innovations in Drug Discovery, Diagnostics, MedTech and other Life Science fields that originate from academic institutions. Our portfolio We help invention grow! We help turn groundbreaking scientific discoveries into successful startups and spin-offs. By connecting innovation with capital and expertise, we create growth opportunities. Our objective is to identify new inventions in Drug Discovery, Diagnostics, MedTech and other Life Science fields. This is an overview of our current portfolio: Portofolio companies Adalid Science Novel lipid nanoparticles for effective drug delivery Czech Republic Read More Dracen Pharmaceuticals Tumor-Directed Glutamine Antagonist Czech Republic/ USA Read More PerioTrap Curative treatment of periodontitis Germany Read More Sophomer Syntetic polymer for immunoassays Czech Republic Read More CasInvent Pharma Casein Kinase 1 inhibitors for cancer treatment Czech Republic Read More LAM-X Light-activated nanomaterials fighting infections Czech Republic Read More Reecyclium Separation of rare elements from permanent magnets Czech Republic Read More Sulfotools Green peptide synthesis technology Germany Read More Deep MedChem AI-based tools accelerating drug discovery Czech Republic Read More Pep-Therapy Innovative peptides for oncology France Read More Sampling Human Yeast cell based biocomputing Czech Republic/USA Read More Projects in incubation Here you will find a list of projects that are currently included in our incubation programme: Promental Health In vitro diagnostic panel of novel microRNA biomarkers for early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Poland Read More Nanoflexion Revolutionary nanofiber-based surgical patch designed to prevent anastomotic leakage and postoperative adhesions. Czech Republic Read More CLLEVERT A system for liquid-liquid microseparations, enabling sample preparation for GC and HPLC analysis. Czech Republic Read More FunBRUSH Antifouling polymer coating technology enhancing the performance and durability of chip surfaces. Czech Republic Read More Our exits Our role is to help launch new startups or spin-offs. The moment our role ends, the exit follows. Here is an overview of our exits: Diana Biotechnologies Pharmaceuticals and highly sensitive diagnostics Czech Republic Read More Elphogene Liquid biopsy technology for cancer diagnostics Czech Republic Read More Riocath New technology used in the production of catheters Czech Republic Read More

Hledáme projektového manažera/projektovou manažerku pro biotechnologické projekty Jsme inkubátor zaměřený na rozvoj technologických projektů a start-upů v oblasti life sciences. Podporujeme vznik a růst inovativních biotechnologických projektů v regionu střední a východní Evropy a spolupracujeme s výzkumnými institucemi, start-upy i mezinárodními partnery. Máte zkušenosti z výzkumu a doktorát v oblasti přírodních či lékařských věd a zajímá vás, jak se z vědeckých výsledků stávají nové technologie a firmy? Hledáme kolegu nebo kolegyni, který/á se chce podílet na rozvoji inovativních biotechnologických projektů z regionu CEE a spolupracovat s výzkumníky, start-upy i zahraničními partnery. Pokud vás láká práce na pomezí vědy, byznysu a technologických inovací, rádi vás poznáme. Co vás čeká Spolupráce na transferu technologií a komercializaci výsledků výzkumu a vývoje Spolupráce s výzkumnými týmy při rozvoji a validaci translačních projektů Odborné hodnocení projektů a technologická due diligence Řízení a rozvoj biotechnologických projektů od nápadu po realizaci Projektový management (plánování, koordinace, kontrola milníků a cílů) Spolupráce se zahraničními partnery, start-upy a spin-off společnostmi Monitoring trhu a vyhledávání nových investičních a projektových příležitostí v regionu CEE Pracovní cesty po Česku i do zahraničí Spolupráce s předními výzkumnými institucemi a technologickými start-upy v regionu Možnost podílet se na vzniku nových biotechnologických start-upů Co požadujeme VŠ vzdělání v přírodních nebo lékařských vědách (Ph.D. výhodou) Výbornou znalost češtiny a angličtiny (minimálně úroveň C1) pro každodenní odbornou i obchodní komunikaci. Další jazyk výhodou Zájem o biotechnologie, inovace a transfer technologií; zkušenost se start-upovým prostředím výhodou Analytické myšlení, samostatnost a výborné komunikační schopnosti Chuť cestovat a aktivně rozvíjet projekty i sítě kontaktů Co nabízíme Práci na inovativních biotechnologických projektech s mezinárodním dopadem Možnost ovlivňovat směřování projektů od rané fáze HPP na plný úvazek a motivující finanční ohodnocení 5 týdnů dovolené a atraktivní benefity Moderní zázemí v Praze a po zaškolení možnost částečné práce z domova Prostor pro odborný i kariérní růst v dynamickém prostředí biotechnologií Chci poslat svůj životopis V případě zájmu nám prosím zašlete svůj životopis prostřednictvím tohoto formuláře. Vyplnit formulář