Start-up SideROS receives €500k in funding to tackle Relapse and Metastasis in Cancer
Created in January 2019, SideROS is a major step forward in the development of new cancer strategies and in fight against relapses and metastasis. The start-up, labeled DeepTech by BpiFrance in 2019, continues its dazzling progress by benefiting from €500k seed fund raising from business angels coming from the pharmaceutical industry. Winner of the i-Lab Innovation Contest in 2019, it will also receive an additional €170k grant from BpiFrance. More recently, SideROS has been selected in the Headstart 2020 Programme, leading to receive €40k grant and to join EIT Health community.
SideROS, iron at the heart of innovation against cancer
Supported by CNRS Innovation, SideROS (Sideros means "iron" in Greek) was born out of the ambition of scientist Raphaël Rodriguez, Director of Research at the Chemistry and Biology of Cancer Laboratory of Institut Curie (CNRS/Inserm). At the heart of his project: the synthesis of an innovative patented family of molecules, such as its current lead ironomycin, capable of selectively killing cancer cells that are resistant to conventional treatments – at the origin of relapses and metastases. Ironomycin directly attacks the iron contained in cancer cells, which is responsible for their persistence. This new treatment is particularly promising as it could be applicable to various types of cancer.
Towards new stages of development
This financing will enable the start-up to make considerable progress in the development of its unconventional therapy for the benefit of patients, as explained by Raphaël Rodriguez :
With the support of our past and new investors, we will accelerate the preclinical development of our drug candidate ironomycin and continue to work on cancer stem cell biology.
On the strength of its success and financing, SideROS will now be able to address two major strategic stages in the development of its therapeutic innovation:
- Pharmaceutical development : the selection of a subcontractor in charge of manufacturing the active pharmaceutical ingredient candidate (ironomycin), and the first industrial GMP batch production for clinical trials
- Non-clinical development : the implementation of solid pharmacokinetic and pharmacological studies, in relevant animal models, with the aim of conducting the first clinical trials.
Ultimately, this new treatment could have a real impact on the traditional cancer treatment pathways, significantly reducing the risk of relapse and metastasis, thus benefiting patients.
