Výsledky vyhledávání

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

i&i Prague, the Technical University of Liberec, and the Faculty of Medicine of Charles University in Pilsen will support the technology for the prevention of complications in intestinal surgery Markéta Hujerová (Klíčová), founder of the Nanoflexion project. Prague, Czech Republic — October 1, 2025 — The i&i Prague biotechnology incubator, the Technical University of Liberec, and the Faculty of Medicine of Charles University in Pilsen have signed an incubation agreement to support the commercialization of the Nanoflexion project, an advanced medical nanotechnology aimed at reducing postoperative complications in gastrointestinal surgery. This agreement represents an important milestone in the journey of this technology from research to clinical practice. The Nanoflexion technology, which was developed through interdisciplinary collaboration between material engineers and medical scientists, uses nanofiber materials to overcome long-standing problems in colorectal surgery. "Nanoflexion was born out of an urgent need to prevent serious post-surgical complications that have been troubling patients for decades. This agreement gives us the institutional backing and support we need to translate years of research into clinical reality," said Markéta Hujerová (Klíčová), founder of the Nanoflexion project, who recently presented the project at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan. The technology is based on the application of patches that use electrostatically spun nanofibers to create a tissue-friendly protective layer around the surgical site. The patch is applied directly during surgery, where it serves as a protective barrier on the intestinal anastomosis and helps prevent adhesions and leakage of intestinal contents. The project is currently in the preclinical development phase with the aim of initiating the first clinical trials. Comprehensive innovation ecosystem Under the signed agreement, i&i Prague will provide incubation support in the form of expert advice on scientific, legal, commercial, and other issues, while the Technical University of Liberec and the Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen will participate in research and preclinical verification of the technology. "At i&i Prague, we focus on supporting breakthrough innovations that can fundamentally improve patient care. Nanoflexion fits perfectly into our vision of supporting scalable and beneficial technologies," said Roberto Fernandez Alvarez, incubation manager at i&i Prague. “The Technical University of Liberec is the cradle of industrial nanofiber production, thanks to the patented technology for producing nanofibers by electrostatic spinning – Nanospider®, which was introduced to the world in 2004 by the team of Professor Oldřich Jirsák from the Faculty of Textile Engineering at TUL. Over the past twenty years, researchers from our university have registered 170 patents, more than 20 of which are in the field of nanofiber production. Nanoflexion is another scientific and research success in the field of nanofibers, which was born in cooperation with other partners, primarily clinical doctors from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Pilsen, in Liberec," said Petr Lenfeld, Vice-Rector for Science and Research at the Technical University of Liberec. "From the perspective of the medical faculty, we see great potential in Nanoflexion technology for reducing postoperative complications in colorectal surgery. We are happy to contribute our experience in its preclinical and future clinical testing," added Prof. MUDr. Václav Liška, Ph.D., from the Faculty of Medicine at Charles University in Pilsen. Contact for journalists: Markéta Hujerová (Klíčová), marketa.hujerova@tul.cz , +420 731 231 434 Martin Kovalčík, kovalcik@iniprague.com , +420 777 472 863 About the Nanoflexion project Nanoflexion is a MedTech innovation project focused on preventing serious complications during gastrointestinal surgery using biocompatible nanofiber patches. The technology is the result of more than seven years of interdisciplinary research. For more information, visit www.nanoflexion.eu . About i&i Prague i&i Prague is a biotechnology incubator and venture builder founded in 2017 at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The company is dedicated to innovation in the field of drug development, diagnostics, and medical technologies, specializing in supporting startups and spin-offs in the early stages of their development. i&i Prague provides expert advice on scientific, legal, business, and other issues that need to be resolved in order for new companies to grow successfully. It creates a unique network of startups, investors, industry partners, and biotechnology experts, enabling effective collaboration and knowledge sharing. For more information, visit www.iniprague.com . About the Technical University of Liberec It is a public university that was founded in 1953. The university has 7,000 students enrolled in seven faculties. TUL also includes the research Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation (CXI). TUL is the cradle of industrial-scale nanofiber production. The current QS ranking places TUL among the 1,000 best universities in the world in the 801–1,000 range. In THE World University Rankings, TUL ranks 1,501+. According to a study by the IDEA think tank at the National Economic Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, TUL ranks fifth among Czech institutions, research centers, and companies with the most cited patents, and first among universities in the Czech Republic. For more information, visit www.tul.cz . About the Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University The Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen is an important center of medical education and research. It is the only representative of Charles University in the West Bohemian region. The faculty educates graduates who acquire a broad education, knowledge, and basic practical skills in all theoretical, preclinical, and clinical fields of medicine. It carries out scientific and research activities at an international level, creates a creative academic environment, and supports internationalization in both student teaching and scientific activities. For more information, visit www.lfp.cuni.cz .

Czech liquid biopsy startup Elphogene comes under full control of one of the founders February 6, 2023 Czech biotechnology start-up Elphogene who pioneered cancer monitoring through its liquid biopsy technology has announced a change in its shareholder structure. The new and sole owner is now Marek Minarik, one of the two original founders of the company. Elphogene, which based its original business plan on molecular cancer diagnostics and monitoring of cancer therapy for patients with colorectal tumors using its proprietary liquid biopsy technology, has seen unprecedented economic growth over the past two years resulting from COVID-19 PCR tests. The company chief, Marek Minárik, says: "With the outbreak of the covid pandemic we have surprisingly seen a significant decrease in interest in our oncology diagnostics from the referring clinical sites. Based on this, our SARS-CoV-2 virus PCR protocol, which was originally developed only for internal testing of our oncology patients, was then converted into accredited regime and after obtaining a license for the Czech National Institute of Public Health we have become part of the official national network of testing laboratories." Elphogene labs, which greatly benefited from their location near the Václav Havel International Airport in Prague - Ruzyne, processed close to 330,000 PCR tests throughout the pandemic, representing approximately 1% of all COVID PCR tests performed at that time in the Czech Republic. The company was first with accreditation for COVID-19 PCR testing, and also one of the first to introduce and validate the pooling method for preventive screening provided to a number of primary and secondary schools in Prague and the Central Bohemia region. "After the decline in COVID tests during the spring of last year, we decided to focus fully to the research and development of a new generation of our technology for the sensitive detection of tumor-specific markers in the peripheral blood of oncology patients," says Minarik, adding: "At the end of the last year, we succeeded in validating of a completely new approach, for which we are now finalizing European patent application. At the same time, we have already approached several leading players in the field of instrument diagnostics with a possibility of technology transfer." Minarik, one of the two original founders, who until now owned 78% stake in the company, acquired the remaining share from a biotechnology incubator i&i Prague, which was the original angel investor when Elphogene was founded at the beginning of 2020. The founder share buy-back, which took place during the last days of December, represents the second successful exit of the investing fund which was established at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in Prague. i&i Prague: Our mission ends, we wish you much success In the portfolio of the bio-innovation center i&i Prague, Elphogene was among the most mature. "Our investments were at the early stage of the company and helped the transition of its technology from the laboratory to oncology patients and, last but not least, enabled it to respond flexibly to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to this, Elphogene has become one of the leading laboratories in the Czech Republic in the diagnosis of this disease," says Jiri Moos, executive director of i&i Prague and, until recently, also one of Elphogene's executives. The task of i&i Prague is to search for promising technologies and help them with their introduction to the market. This was achieved in this case, the company Elphogene is today a functioning private healthcare facility that has all the necessary accreditations and permits authorizing it to operate its activities. "At this point, our mission ends and we will focus on supporting other unique ideas from our portfolio. We would like to thank Associate Professor Marek Minarik for excellent cooperation and wish the Elphogene company much success in the commercialization of their technology," adds Jiri Moos. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

CasInvent Pharma Raises €1.3 Million from KHAN-I and i&i Biotech Fund to Support the Development of New Casein Kinase 1 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Leukemias and Solid Tumors Prague, Czech Republic, September 13th, 2022. CasInvent Pharma, an early-stage drug discovery company developing small-molecule compounds with anticancer properties, has raised a follow-up investment round of €1.3 million provided by KHAN Technology Transfer Fund I (KHAN-I) and i&i Biotech Fund (i&i Bio). With this funding, CasInvent Pharma will be strengthening its portfolio of casein kinase inhibitors and progressing its lead compound to the development candidate status. The company CasInvent Pharma is developing proprietary, highly selective inhibitors of enzymes belonging to the casein kinase 1 (CK1) family, which play an important role in several disease-related processes, including the migration of leukemia cells into lymphoid organs. The small-molecule inhibitors are designed to target individual isoforms of CK1 and thereby selectively eradicate leukemic cells. The CasInvent inhibitors have shown promising effects on hard-to-treat leukemias, suggesting their potential use in diseases that currently have limited treatment options. Overall, approximately 500,000 new cases and more than 300,000 deaths due to leukemia were recorded worldwide in 2020. CasInvent Pharma will also explore the potential of its CK1 inhibitors for the treatment of other cancers, such as solid tumors. “We are confident that through the support of our investors, we will be able to advance our compounds faster into the clinic and to demonstrate the therapeutic anticancer effects of CK1 inhibition in patients. This step will render CasInvent attractive for larger pharma companies, as it will enable them to expand their portfolio with new compounds useful in single-agent as well as combination therapies,” says Vojtěch Helikar, CEO of CasInvent Pharma. “CK1 inhibition provides a novel mechanism of action in different cancer indications, which needs to be exploited in the clinic. We believe that our compounds have the potential to offer novel alternatives of cancer treatment for patients with a high unmet medical need,” adds Alexander Scheer, CSO of CasInvent Pharma. High quality of the research team and the strong support The company CasInvent Pharma was established in 2020 as a spin-off of Masaryk University (MU) in cooperation with the investment partner i&i Prague. “The investment of €1.3 million further confirms the quality of the scientific project that was created and developed for several years at Masaryk University. The establishment of the spin-off company CasInvent Pharma was thus a logical step to advance, and ultimately commercialize, these efforts. I am very pleased that the Technology Transfer Office of MU was part of such an important achievement,” says Radoslav Trautmann, Head of Technology Transfer Department, Masaryk University. “We are looking forward to our first investment in a Czech start-up and our first co-investment with the recently launched i&i Biotech Fund. From the beginning, we were impressed by the high quality of CasInvent’s research team and the strong support from Masaryk University and the biotech incubator i&i Prague to make this investment possible. With our deep experience in preclinical development of small molecules, we will be able to make valuable contributions to the design and achievement of the key R&D milestones. We look forward to working with Vojtěch, Alexander and the R&D team,” comment Michael Krebs and Peter Nussbaumer, managing partners of KHAN-I. CasInvent Pharma is i&i Bio’s most recent investment announced this year. It marks yet another successful cooperation with the biotech incubator i&i Prague, one of the main investors of i&i Bio. „We are excited to welcome another promising Czech project to our portfolio. The ability of this spin-off to convince renowned international investors confirms its ambition to be successful on a global scale. It is great to be part of this journey. We are also pleased to use our investment to support research that could help treat serious diseases such as leukemia in the future,“ says Ivan Vohlmuth, one of the partners of i&i Bio. Contact Martin Kovalčík, + 420 777 472 863, kovalcik@inibio.eu (for i&i Biotech Fund) Vojtěch Helikar, +420 728 995 850, helikar@casinvent.com (for CasInvent) Radoslav Trautmann, +420 605 824 519, trautmann@casinvent.com (for Masaryk University) Anne-Kathrin Klebl, +49231 97 42 70 29, pr@lead-discovery.de (for KHAN-I) About i&i Bio i&i Bio is a Luxembourg-based venture capital firm that invests in innovative European Life Sciences companies focused on drug discoveries, medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health. The Fund was created thanks to the cooperation of the biotech incubator i&i Prague and the European Investment Fund (see below). With over €45M under management, i&i Bio plans to invest in about 20 early-stage companies. i&i Bio is led by an experienced team of professionals with backgrounds in private equity, healthcare and venture capital supporting entrepreneurs on their journey to global success. Thanks to the close cooperation with the fund’s sponsor, the biotech academic incubator i&i Prague, i&i Bio is supporting and advancing transformative Central European technology companies. For more information visit www.inibio.eu . About European Investment Fund i&i Bio is supported by an investment from the EIF, with the support of: lnnovFin Equity, with the financial backing of the European Union under Horizon 2020 Financial Instruments and the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) set up under the Investment Plan for Europe. The purpose of EFSI is to help support financing and implementing productive investments in the European Union and to ensure increased access to financing; and the Pan-European Guarantee Fund (EGF), implemented by the EIF with the financial support of the Participating Member States. The objective of EGF is to respond to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by ensuring that companies in the Participating Member States have sufficient short-term liquidity available to weather the crisis and are able to continue their growth and development in the medium to long-term. About KHAN-I KHAN Technology Transfer Fund I GmbH & Co KG (KHAN-I) is an early-stage life sciences venture fund with € 70 millions under management. Our mission is to create value through cooperative drug development partnerships with academic innovators in Europe. KHAN-I focuses on first-in-class therapies for attractive markets with a high unmet medical need. The fund is managed by Khanu Management GmbH, an experienced team of professionals with proven track records in early-stage drug development, academic spin-offs as well as pharma licensing and partnering. KHAN-I received an investment from the European Investment Fund (EIF) with support of InnovFin Equity, with the financial backing of the European Union under Horizon 2020 Financial Instruments and the European Fund for Strategic Investments (“EFSI”) under the Investment Plan for Europe. KHAN-I is also supported by Austria Wirtschaftsservice GmbH (AWS with funds provided by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs and the Austrian Foundation for Research, Technology and Development), Max Planck Foundation and Thyssen’sche Handelsgesellschaft mbH. About Masaryk University Technology Transfer Office Masaryk University Technology Transfer Office is a specialised department of Masaryk University that helps to transfer knowledge and technology into practice. The Office supports the university's cooperation with the commercial sphere, the creation of spin-off companies and the successful commercialisation of university research.

The judges at Transfera Technology Day 2021 awarded the cream of the crop This year at the 2nd Transfera Technology Day, the first place went to the Tablets for the Treatment of Contaminated Water. The second place was taken by the Microemulsions and Gels for Cleaning Surfaces of Historical Materials and the bronze went to the project aimed at detecting bacteria in amniotic fluid. The jury consisting of representatives of the business community, investors and organisers assessed the commercial potential of research projects of Czech universities and other research institutions. This year, they also awarded the Sympathy Prize for the first time – it went to the special oxygenation liners for fishing beads. The event aims at connecting science and business in order to get valuable feedback regarding the commercial potential of projects and secure future funding for promising research projects. “Czech science and research has many talented people to offer. However, they need to be supported and motivated. That’s why we’re glad we can keep connecting the world of business with the great ideas of our scientists. Especially at its start, no project can survive without support,” says Eva Janouškovcová, chairwoman of the Transfera.cz association, the co-organizer of the event. Battle of Universities, Research Institutes and Hospitals 13 scientific research projects were selected as finalists (aside from the first three projects, there were e.g. the Electrostatic Separation of Plastics to Improve Wate Separation, the Pad for Sensing the Load and Position of the Patient or the Device for Coating Wires in Implant Surgery). There were teams of scientists from the Czech Technical University in Prague, the National Institute of Mental Health, J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry, the University of West Bohemia, Palacký University Olomouc, The University of Hradec Králové, Brno University of Technology, University Hospital Hradec Králové, VSB – Technical University of Ostrava, Masaryk University, the Institute of Rock Structure and Mechanics CAS, the Institute of Geonics CAS and the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. The jury chose the best three out of these teams. The winning project of the Palacký University Olomouc is meant to be used mainly in case of natural disasters or industrial accidents. The new effervescent tablets for the treatment of contaminated water are easy to store and use – you simply put them in the contaminated water. Thanks to being “fizzy”, they take effect very quickly. The tablet dissolves completely in just 30 seconds allowing the active ingredient to perform its function. Moreover, they do not contain any toxic substances and are environmentally friendly. The second place went to the Microemulsions and Gels for Cleaning Surfaces of Historical Materials developed by the team of J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry CAS. These extremely gentle yet effective microemulsion cleaning systems are designed to remove unwanted substances from various valuable historical artefacts. The main component here is water – the content of the active ingredients is very low, yet they are highly effective. The third place went to the University Hospital Hradec Králové and their project Detection of Bacteria in Amniotic Fluid in Patients with Preterm Prelabour Rupture of Membranes. This new method helps detect the presence of specific bacteria in amniotic water in just a couple of hours. Thanks to this, it will be possible to initiate effective antibiotic treatment in time and reduce the adverse effects on the fetus. Sympathy Prize Will Help Fish The Sympathy prize was won by the Aeration and Oxygenation Liner in Fishing Beads from the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovic. This liner should improve the conditions of the fish stored in beads e.g. when fishing out ponds or during pre-Christmas sales. The new liner will provide sufficient oxygenation of water without the necessity of weighting down the aeration hoses, which complicates catching the fish and often results in injuring them. Winners Got Both Money and Well-deserved Attention The projects that made it to the finals can use the title Finalist of TRANSFERA TECHNOLOGY DAY 2021. The winning project was awarded the title Winner of TRANSFERA TECHNOLOGY DAY 2021. The certificate is a mark of quality and can help secure not only financial support. The finalists will also receive an invitation to the Technological Incubation project of the CzechInvest agency who can allocate funding of up to CZK 5 million to each project. The jury that evaluated both the presentations and the commercial potential of the projects consisted of the representatives of investors and other experts – Petra Gordan (Nation1), Jaromír Zahrádka and Barbora Šumová (i&i Biotech Fund), Jakub Domitra (Busyman), Eva Janouškovcová and Petr Kubečka (Transfera.cz), Jiří Krechl (CzechInvest), Robert Reich (Lighthouse Ventures) and Václav Novák and Jaroslav Řasa (NEURON Endowment Fund). The competition has been organized by Transfera.cz together with its general partner CzechInvest and other partners (e.g. Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, NEURON Endowment Fund, vedavyzkum.cz and others). A record of the event can be found at www.transfera.cz .

OUR TEAM Our team benefits from decades of know-how and experiences gathered in academic institutions, technology transfer and industrial companies. Using this knowledge, we are developing a pool of highly potent biotech projects originating in academia and finding commercial partners for them. JIŘÍ MOOS CEO, Board of Directors In addition to managing i&i Prague, Jiří is responsible for project analysis. He is a member of the GAMA Commercialization Council of the Institute of Molecular Genetics (IMG) and an external member of the Supervisory Board of the Institute of Biotechnology. Previously, he was a senior sales manager at Sigma-Aldrich and coordinator of regional activities of the Sigma-Aldrich Applied Business Unit. He also worked at Immunotech a.s. and has extensive experience as a researcher at the Centre for Assisted Reproduction at the General University Hospital in Prague and IMG. LinkedIn Mail DAVID STÍBAL Vice Director, Board of Directors David evaluates the business potential of scientific projects, establishes and initially manages startups, and works on the long-term development of projects all the way to their successful commercialization. David completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague, earned a Ph.D. from the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland, and conducted postdoctoral research at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Prior to joining us, he worked in Lach-Ner s.r.o. as a research scientist. LinkedIn Mail IVA MACHOVÁ Incubation and Regional Manager for Poland Iva is responsible for the analysis of project technology. Before joining our company, Iva worked as a postdoc researcher at the Biomedical Center of the Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen. She holds BSc and MSc degrees from UCT Prague, Czech Republic, and she did her Ph.D. at the Institute of organic chemistry and biochemistry. Iva spent several months on a postdoctoral fellowship at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. Due to her scientific experience in biochemistry, she is focused on projects in the field of drug discovery and cell therapy. LinkedIn Mail JIŘÍ RŮŽIČKA Incubation Manager Jiri is responsible for analyzing projects at i&i Prague. He also worked at the Institute of Experimental Medicine of the CAS (IEM), the University of Cambridge, and the University of Leeds. He has done his PhD at IEM and the 2nd Faculty of Medicine of Charles University. He has 14+ years of experience in neuroscience and regenerative medicine with a broad focus on brain/spinal cord injuries, neurodegenerative diseases, and ageing. He has been dealing with enzymatic, gene, or cell therapies, biomaterial applications, and genetic models of neurodegenerative disorders. Mail Mail KAMILA BURDOVÁ Incubation Manager Kamila is an Incubation Manager at i&i Prague. She brings over a decade of scientific experience in molecular biology, genome stability, and DNA repair, gained at leading research institutions including the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Prague, the University of Oxford, and the University of Sussex. At i&i Prague, she supports the development and growth of early-stage biotech projects with strong scientific foundations. Her deep understanding of academic research allows her to bridge the gap between science and commercialization effectively. LinkedIn Mail JAN BERKA Project Manager with a Focus on International Contacts Jan studied molecular biology and genetics at Masaryk University in Brno (Czech Republic). After his doctorate, he worked at the Barnett Institute, Northeastern University in Boston on the development of DNA sequencers. Later, he worked at CuraGen, 454 Life Sciences, Pfizer Rinat and Adaptive Biotechnologies, where he was involved in pioneering methods of DNA and immune system sequencing. Before joining i&i Prague, he worked at Roche Molecular Diagnostics in California, developing biomarker assays. Mail Mail ROBERTO FERNANDEZ Incubation Manager Roberto is responsible for the analysis of projects. Prior to joining us, Roberto completed his Ph.D. in Macromolecular Chemistry at Charles University in Prague. He holds a BSc in Chemistry from the University of Costa Rica and an MSc in Biochemistry and Biotechnology from Autonomous University of Barcelona. Parallel to his work in i&i Prague, Roberto works as a project manager in the MedTech start-up LAM-X a.s. Due to his experience, Roberto prefers to focus on projects in the field of medical devices and drug delivery. LinkedIn Mail SIMONA ŠANDOVÁ Office Manager Simona is responsible for making sure that everything works as it should in i&i Prague. During her career, Simona has worked as an Office Manager and a Junior Property Manager. She was responsible for training and conference organization, communication with clients and suppliers as well as administrative assistance for the project and property department. Simona has considerable experience in administration and office management. LinkedIn Mail MARTIN KOVALČÍK Communication Manager Martin is responsible for PR activities and communication of our incubator. Prior to joining i&i Prague, Martin worked for nearly 13 years as a media coordinator at the respected Czech non-profit organisation, People in Need, where he was responsible for regular media relations and media service for a team of 300 people. He also 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. Mail Mail

Meet Our Team Our team benefits from decades of know-how and experiences gathered in academic institutions, technology transfer and industrial companies. Using this knowledge, we are developing a pool of highly potent biotech projects originating in academia and finding commercial partners for them. Jiří Moos CEO, Board of Directors Jiří Moos is the Executive Director at i&i Prague. Read More Iva Machová Project Manager Iva Machová is a Project Manager at i&i Prague. Read More Martin Kovalčík Communications Martin Kovalčík is our Communications Manager. Read More Milan Prášil Chairman, Board of directors Milan Prášil is the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Read More Jiří Růžička Project Manager Jiri Ruzicka is a Project manager at i&i Prague. Read More Simona Šandová Office Manager Simona Šandová is the Office Manager of i&i Prague. Read More David Stíbal Board of Directors, Vice Director David Stíbal is the Vice Director at i&i Prague. Read More Roberto Fernandez Project Manager Roberto Fernandez is a Project manager at i&i Prague. Read More Mikuláš Vargic External Lawyer Mikuláš studied law at Masaryk University Brno and International and European Law at the University of Antwerp. Read More Our Mission We scout and support the growth through discovery, pre-seed or seed phase of the most promising projects with innovative potential in Drug Discovery, Diagnostics, MedTech and other Life Science fields. Our Objective Our ambition is to become a leading partner advancing and promoting game-changing biotech inventions coming from the Central Europe region. Our Team Our team benefits from expertise and experience gathered from IOCB and IOCB Tech. We are developing a pool of highly promising biotech projects originating from academia and finding commercial partners for them. Our background We operate as a private company under the wings of the Czech Academy of Sciences and its Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (IOCB). From 1994 to 2002, the IOCB was led by Dr. Antonín Holý, whose team invented and developed hugely effective and successful anti-HIV drugs (Truvada, Atripla, Complera, Eviplera). We believe that this is a legacy to build upon and that, with your and our combined expertise, we can make this world a better place and help millions of people.

< Back Alexandr Krajhanzl Board of Directors Alexandr Krajhanzl has been a part of i&i Prague since September 2021. He is also a member of the Board for the Commercialization of Science and Research Results of Charles University Prague. Between 1993 and 2004 he worked in various General Management functions in Cilag, later Janssen-Cilag, Johnson & Johnson. In 2004 as the Regional Director he became responsible for Business Development in EMEA Emerging Markets (80 countries) at Janssen, J&J Pharmaceutical companies. His responsibility changed from 2010 until 2017 when he acted as the Regional Director of New Business Development in the territory covering Europe Mid-Sized Markets. Between 2004 and 2017 he was a member of the Global BD team responsible for L&A and M&A initiatives and projects in Infectious Diseases and Vaccines. During his tenure in this position, he led or participated in numerous global, regional and local L&A and M&A deals. For his contribution, he was rewarded with two Global Standards of Leadership Awards of Johnson & Johnson. Between 2013 and 2019 he also served as the President and Founding Member of Pharma Licensing Group Central and Eastern Europe and Vice-President of the European Pharma Licensing Board. Alexandr completed his Master’s degree in Chemistry at Charles University in Prague. He has received a Ph.D. (CSc.) degree in Biochemistry and worked as a Charles University teacher for almost 11 years at the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science. Should you be interested in a collaboration in the field of drug development, Alexandr will be the right contact whom you can meet. He has been in the world of science and its commercialization for more than 20 years and has an extensive network of contacts among Pharma and Medical Device companies.