Dendrogenix A new family of molecules that fight deafness and cancer

Created in 2018 by a syndicate of Business Angels, the Dendrogenix spin-off develops drug candidates to treat deafness and cancer. After a first wave of funding of €4M, in 2020 it intends to proceed with a second wave of between €5M and €7M and to triple its staff (it currently has 5 employees) within 3 years.

Having acquired patents from French company Affichem and having transferred its team to Belgium, Dendrogenix has become a specialist in hearing loss as a result of oncology-related neurological disorders. The young spin-off has brought together cutting-edge know-how in the fields of organic and analytical chemistry, in vitro and in vivo biology, clinical expertise, production, toxicology and regulatory issues in order to develop Dendrogenins, molecules derived from cholesterol synthesis and which play a key role in neuronal and hearing mechanisms.

Stéphane Silvente, CEO of Dendrogenix

The fruit of a strategic partnership with Drs Marc Poirot and Sandrine Silvente-Poirot of the Toulouse Cancerology Research Centre (CRCT), DX 101 is set to be a disruptive cancer treatment. It has proven its in vitro and in vivo preclinical efficiency for acute myeloid leukaemia and melanoma. It has also obtained proof of concept for breast cancer. It has to be said that its mechanism of action is original: it reprograms tumour cells, which are consequently recognised by the cells of the immune system, which stimulates its capacity to activate cells with antigens and lymphocytes. Moreover, the identification of the DX 101 target receptor allows Dendrogenix to have the first predictive tool to allow it to assess the therapeutic response to DX 101, which also shows promise as regards its possible use to treat other cancers. An R&D programme is dedicated to the preclinical development of this drug candidate and one of its derivatives, which is even more powerful, with a view to optimising this family of Dendrogenins. © Dendrogenix

Currently, Dendrogenix is working alongside the team of Prof. Brigitte Malgrange of the GIGA (ULiège) for the R&D section of its DX243 preclinical development programme. DX243 is the principal lead of the Dendrogenin family when it comes to hearing prevention and restoration. Its efficiency has been validated in vivo on a robust chemotherapy-induced deafness model designed to test cochlear implants and on a model produced by noise. It has a competitive advantage over known neurotrophic factors and its chemical synthesis guarantees the product’s biological safety. Regulatory preclinical studies for clinical evaluation of DX 243 on deaf patients will be launched as of 2021 by Prof. Lefevre, head of the ENT department of Liège CHU, a member of the spin-off and the principal investigator for the occasion. From right to left: Dr. Arnaud Rives, Head of the Chemistry Laboratory, Dr. Nicolas Caron, Head of the Laboratory of Biology and Dr. Quentin Marlier, Young Assistant Project Manager

Thanks to these excellent prospects, Dendrogenix has been selected by the InvestHorizon accelerator based in Brussels. This European Commission initiative will allow the spin-off to achieve visibility at a European level and arouse the interest of investors for its second wave of funding. At present, Dendrogenix already receives substantial backing from the Walloon Region, and it hopes to receive some funding from it for the oncology aspect of its activities. In addition, Noshaq (formerly Meusinvest) has awarded it funding of €500k in the form of a loan convertible into shares. This is a sure-fire sign of faith! © Dendrogenix

Dendrogenix 11, avenue de l'Hôpital - B-4000 Liège Tel.: +32 (0)492 781 781 Email: contact@dendrogenix.com https://www.dendrogenix.com/