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Dracen Pharmaceuticals Announces the Initiation of First-in-human Study of DRP-104 in Adult Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors! Dracen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced the start of a clinical trial of DRP-104, an anti-cancer substance developed by the team of Pavel Majer at IOCB Prague in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore (USA) @johnshopkinsu . The first patients have received the substance, and the initial phase of the trial will last approximately three years. “The initiation of the phase one clinical trial of our substance is excellent news and an important milestone on the path towards a new treatment for oncology patients,” said Pavel Majer, Head of the drug discovery group at IOCB Prague. Learn more on IOCB page or Dracen page !

IOCB Tech Group Successfully Represents the Czech Republic at the Prestigious Biotech Conference BIO-Europe 2023 Over 5,000 participants from more than 50 countries and a total of over 30,000 official meetings – that was the outcome of this year's edition of the international BIO-Europe conference in Munich. The Czech Republic was represented by the companies IOCB Tech, i&i Prague, and i&i Biotech Fund (i&i Bio), which are entities associated with the IOCB Tech Group under the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The Czech stand at the event was also supported by representatives of the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Munich. “IOCB Tech Group regularly participates in BIO-Europe. It is a useful opportunity for us to meet with leading representatives of the biotech, medtech, and life sciences world, as well as investors and scientific research clusters. Thanks also go to the organizers, the EBD Group,” said Martin Fusek, director of IOCB Tech. ​ “BIO-Europe represents a great opportunity for us to meet startups at the forefront of Biotech. Specially, in the CEE region we have found great founders who are shaking the field with their innovative technologies. The event also gives us a chance to reach out to startups which might not have been ready for investment when we originally talked to them, but after some time it is fascinating to see their progress,” adds Roberto Fernandez Alvarez, who represented the incubator i&i Prague with other colleagues. ​ “This year's BIO-Europe was also unique due to the inclusion of a new section of panel discussions on so-called translational funds. These are investors who provide fund financing for the translational phase of research and the technology transfer process. Besides our i&i Bio, four other funds from Germany, Austria, and Belgium were presented, which were also established at significant scientific institutions,” says Jaromír Zahrádka, director of i&i Biotech Fund, adding: “It is evident that such funds have their place in the European venture capital market and often become the initial investor in new projects and biotechnological spin-off companies, which then get the chance to appeal to a broader group of less specialized investors.” ​ The IOCB Tech team conducted more than a hundred meetings and negotiations over three days. “We are particularly grateful for the discussion with the EBD Group regarding the potential hosting of the BIO-Europe conference in Prague, and we are pleased that this vision is also supported by significant clusters such as LISAvienna – Life Science Austria Vienna, BioM Biotech Cluster, Biosaxony association, and many others,” added Martin Opatrný, spokesperson for IOCB Tech. “BIO-Europe represents a great opportunity for us to meet startups at the forefront of Biotech. Specially, in the CEE region we have found great founders who are shaking the field with their innovative technologies. The event also gives us a chance to reach out to startups which might not have been ready for investment when we originally talked to them, but after some time it is fascinating to see their progress,” ​ Roberto Fernandez Alvarez i&i Prague Discussions on cooperation also took place, for example, with the company Symeres, a leading research organization focused on the discovery and development of new drugs. Representatives of the Consulate General in Munich also expressed their support for the IOCB Tech Group, whose visit was a significant recognition of the activities of the IOCB Tech Group. ​ “We are glad to be part of this significant event and present, thanks to IOCB Tech, Czech excellence in the field of life sciences and pharmacy, and thus show the world the innovations and potential of Czech science and technology transfer,” said consul Lukáš Opatrný from the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Munich. ​ BIO-Europe is an annual meeting of visionaries, innovators, and experts in the field of biotechnology and pharmaceutical research from around the world. Over the past 29 years, BIO-Europe has grown not only in size but especially in becoming the flagship of European biotech. Its international reach is a symbolic gateway to the global life science community. About IOCB Tech The Technology Transfer Office IOCB Tech, s.r.o. is a fully owned subsidiary of the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (IOCB). The main responsibilities of IOCB Tech include the identification of commercially interesting projects at IOCB, analysis of their market potential and patentability, protection of intellectual property, support for the development of the projects in the form of project management, search for commercial partners and negotiation of contractual terms for signing license agreements. IOCB Tech has been involved in the process of negotiating and concluding more than a dozen key license agreements with major pharmaceutical partners such as Gilead Sciences, Merck, Novo Nordisk and SHINE Medical Technologies. In 2017, the company established a subsidiary, i&i Prague, which focuses on funding promising early-stage projects at the Institute and other research and academic institutions. For more information visit www.iocbtech.cz . About i&i Prague The i&i Prague Bio-Innovation Center focuses on the transfer of new technologies into practice. The company was established at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS and is mainly dedicated to innovations in the field of drug development, diagnostics and medical devices originating from academic institutions. It supports the creation of spin-off companies and the sale of licenses. So far, the company has participated in the creation of or otherwise supported 15 spin-off companies from five countries, has an equity stake in nine of them and has invested over 70 million crowns. In total, the spin-offs in i&i Prague's portfolio have raised more than CZK 1.8 billion from other investors. In addition to direct financial investments, i&i Prague also assists more than 15 research institutions and universities in the Czech Republic and abroad in the commercialization of innovative technologies. In 2021, i&i Prague started up the i&i Bio investment fund. About i&i Biotech Fund (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 €47M 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 close cooperation with the fund’s main 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 EIF 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.

< Back Simona Šandová Office Manager 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. She has considerable experience in administration and office management.

< Back 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! Previous Next

Earlier News: 2020 We help inventions grow! BACK TO LATEST NEWS Nanofibers from Technical University of Liberec brings new hope in fight against Covid-19 Read More Enantis – first biotechnology spin-off from Masaryk University in Brno Read More DIANA Biotechnologies – technology that raised EUR 3M in 3 years Read More License for use of iBodies® bought by Immunotech, a member of the Beckman Coulter group! Read More LAM-X: revolutionary wound-treating nanomaterials Read More Elphogene – liquid biopsy assay for non-invasive monitoring of patients with colorectal cancer Read More LAM-X – light-activated nanomaterials for face-masks and respirators Read More Elphogene: non-invasive screening of patients in advanced stages of cancer Read More DRACEN Pharmaceuticals – Novel glutamine antagonist as anticancer therapies Read More iBodies – synthetic antibodies from Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS Read More Elphogene in World Journal of Gastroenterology! Read More Prague startup RIOCATH had recently entered market with its world-unique catheter! Read More Czech anti-covid19 #hackathon won by two i&i Prague accelerated projects Read More LAM-X a.s. is collaborating with TUL to develop active nanofilters against COVID-19 Read More iBodies established cooperation with Ximbio, a TTO within the UK’s largest charity, Cancer Research UK Read More LAM-X: the spin-off accelerated by i&i Prague in Media Read More

< Back David Stíbal Vice Director David Stíbal is the Vice Director at i&i Prague. He holds BSc and MSc degrees from UCT Prague, Czech Republic, and a Ph.D. from the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. After his doctorate studies, David worked as a PostDoc at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Prior to joining our company, David worked in Lach-Ner s.r.o. as a research scientist, developing modular catalytic systems. His international scientific experience has allowed him to develop a detail-oriented approach to projects from various fields, spanning organic and inorganic chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, bioinorganic chemistry, and biochemistry. At i&i Prague, David has been focusing on biotechnology evaluations, intellectual property rights, and start-up formation. He will therefore be happy to help assess the scientific background of your project, offer advice during the start-up set-up and early management, and assist in the long-term project development all the way to the successful commercialization.

Smart bandages not only capture pathogens, but also destroy them in no time. All they need is ordinary light. LAM-X team Hospital-acquired infections are a problem that current technologies are not able to deal with effectively. In the European Union alone they cause around 100,000 deaths each year, with estimates of the costs associated with treatment in the EU around €7 billion per year. However, this could change in the future; the Czech spin-off LAM-X a.s. is working intensively on the development of a nanomaterial that not only passively prevents viruses or bacteria from entering open wounds, but can also actively destroy them. It is made up of nanofibres doped with a photoactive substance which, when activated by ordinary light, eliminates any microbes that are in close proximity to it. Current dressing materials provide a kind of mechanical barrier aimed at suppressing the transmission of infection into the patient's body. However, if the objective is also to destroy the pathogens that cause infections, cover materials containing active silver are available. However, this is potentially toxic to the patient if used for a long time, and over time bacterial strains that may be resistant to this metal emerge. ​ The material from LAM-X a. s. works on a completely different principle. “Our technology works with nanofibres that are hundreds of nanometres in diameter. We use them to create a very dense network that effectively prevents the penetration of pathogens. However, this in itself is not groundbreaking; nanofibre coverings have been produced for some time, although their use is not yet widespread. The added value of our material lies primarily in the fact that we can add a photoactive substance (so-called photosensitizer) to our nanofibres, which, when illuminated with ordinary light, activates a sterilization process that eliminates any bacteria or viruses on the surface of the bandage,” says Roman Chaloupka, CEO of LAM-X a. s. ​ The light-activated photosensitizer can convert virtually ubiquitous molecular oxygen into so-called singlet oxygen, a highly reactive molecule that oxidizes virtually anything that comes in its way. “By using the photooxidation process, we are able to destroy even those pathogens that have already built up resistance to antibiotics or silver. Another huge advantage of our technology is that it eliminates the problem of toxicity of active dressings, which allows their long-term use. The singlet oxygen is generated only on the surface of the nanofibers and, due to its high reactivity, it acts only in close proximity to the nanofibers, so it does not come into contact with the patient's own wound or skin at all. And last but not least, our material is cheaper, as there is no need to use precious metals such as silver in its production,” adds Chaloupka. ​ Bandages, incision films, catheter fixation The development of a second-generation smart bandage with antimicrobial effect is currently moving towards a clinical trial. If its current potential is confirmed, it could help, for example, people with chronic wounds in a few years' time. “More than 50 percent of patients with chronic wounds have been on treatment for more than a year. One reason is that these wounds are repeatedly infected with other bacteria. Our material should prevent this,” says Roman Chaloupka. However, it could be used to treat virtually any wound. ​ A prototype of this type of bandage already exists and is currently being tested preclinically. These are a set of tests that need to be carried out before the product receives the necessary approvals to conduct clinical trials on real patients. Recruitment and follow-up should then take about a year. “By the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025 at the latest, we should have the data to certify this dressing material as a medical device and subsequently award the CE mark, which is necessary for placing it on the EU market. At that point, production can begin,” adds Roman Chaloupka. ​ However, dressing materials are only one of the paths LAM-X a.s. wants to take in the use of its technology. “At the moment we are already working on the development of other products, because we are convinced that our technology has a much more versatile application. Our material could be used, for example, to drape an operating field, which would greatly reduce the incidence of bacteria that could get close to an open wound. Even better, they could replace incision films, which are glued directly to the patient's skin to enhance health protection, especially in more time-consuming operations. The increase in cleanliness during surgery using our material should clearly reduce the incidence of post-operative infectious complications,” says Roman Chaloupka, outlining further possibilities. The technology of LAM-X a. s. would also find application in intravenous catheterisation, especially in long-term patients. “Even in this case, doctors struggle with the transfer of bacteria into the bloodstream, which causes serious health complications in the form of infections. If we made the adhesive dressings that fix the catheters to the wound from our material, we could largely prevent infections,” explains Roman Chaloupka. ​ Clinical trials, search for an industrial partner LAM-X a.s. was founded in 2020 thanks to the joint efforts of Charles University and the Academy of Sciences. Specifically, its creation is backed by Charles University Innovations Prague, a subsidiary of Charles University, and the i&i Prague bio-innovation centre. It is currently preparing an investment round to raise funds for the aforementioned clinical trials. “All our products fall into the category of medical devices, the production of which is, of course, highly regulated. In order to obtain the necessary permits, whether in the Czech Republic, the European Union or in non-European countries, we need to collect a large amount of data to confirm the safety and efficacy of the material,” explains Roman Chaloupka of the need for clinical trials. The company would like to use part of the funds raised to equip its own laboratory (including a semi-operational nanofibre production facility) and to develop further products using this technology. ​ However, the plans of LAM-X a. s. do not end there. “After completing all the necessary testing of our wound covers, we would like to launch them on the market through an industrial partner in the form of a large multinational company. We are looking for someone who has been involved in the treatment and healing of wounds for a long time, which means they already have a distribution network and effective marketing. We could then continue to focus on what we do best, i.e. on the development of new products,” concludes Roman Chaloupka, CEO of LAM-X a. s. ​ Conclusion The products that LAM-X a.s. develops are based on unique technology that can help improve the quality of life for millions of people. Thanks to their versatility, they can be used in many areas of healthcare. They are also cheaper to produce in many cases than the materials currently used. It is these attributes that give LAM-X the chance to develop its potential not only in the local market, but also to succeed globally.

< Back 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 . Previous Next

< Back 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 . Previous Next

< Back 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/ Previous Next

< Back Jiří Moos CEO, Board of Directors Jiří Moos is our Executive Director, having joined i&i Prague from DiaSorin where he was the Marketing Manager. He is also a member of the TACR GAMA Commercialization Board at the Institute of Molecular Genetics in Prague, and an external member of the Supervisory Board at the Institute of Biotechnology AS CR. Between 2008 and 2016, he acted as a Senior Sales Manager for Sigma-Aldrich (since 2015 a part of Merck KgaA), Czech Republic and Slovakia, and as a Coordinator of regional Sigma-Aldrich Applied Business Unit activities, also covering Hungary and Poland. For six years, he worked for Immunotech a.s., a Beckman-Coulter company located in Prague, first as a Product Manager in the Clinical Chemistry team and later as the Life Science Product Specialist team leader. Jiří also has extensive experience as a Scientific Researcher at the Centre of Assisted Reproduction, General Teaching Hospital in Prague, and as a Research Fellow at the Institute of Molecular Genetics, AS CR in Prague. Jiří Moos completed his Master´s degree in Biology and Chemistry at Charles University in Prague. He received a Ph.D. (CSc.) in Biology from the Institute of Molecular Genetics, AS CR in Prague, followed by almost 3 years of postdoctoral fellowship in the field of Biology of Reproduction at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Jiří has also completed the Miller Heiman course of Business and Strategic Selling. If you are interested in cooperation, Jiří will probably be the person you will be meeting quite often. Maybe you are already on his radar because he is the one actively searching for new technologies and early-stage opportunities. He has been in the world of science for almost three decades and has made an extensive network of contacts both in Academia and Industry.

< Back 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/ Previous Next