Communiqué de presse – 5 décembre 2022
New startup Graegis Pharmaceuticals to prevent skin and mucosa side effects of radiotherapy
Co-founded by the leading cancer institute Gustave Roussy, Paris-Saclay University and the French company Clevexel Pharma, Graegis Pharmaceuticals plans to start proof of concept clinical trials in 2023 in the prevention of radiation-induced dermatitis and mucositis
Graegis Pharmaceuticals, a startup developing new therapies aimed at preventing the side effects of radiotherapies on healthy skin and mucosa, has been founded in Q4 2021 and has spent its first year of operations running critical experiments en route to completing the regulatory nonclinical package allowing entry in clinical trials. Co-founded by Gustave Roussy, Paris-Saclay University and Clevexel Pharma, Graegis Pharmaceuticals has received the first tranche from a total series A round of 10 M€ raised from private investors and prominent Venture Capital contributors with the support of Paris-based AEC Partners.
Graegis pharmaceuticals has initiated two lead programs for radiation induced dermatitis in Breast Cancer patients and radiation induced mucositis for Head & Neck Cancer patients and is now planning to initiate clinical trials in 2023, utilizing topical formulations of the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) scavenger aprocystine* designed to avoid systemic side effects and to fit seamlessly in the radiotherapy patient journey. There is currently no approved preventive option for this growing patient population.
“Our goal is to provide patients with a convenient, safe and effective protection of skin and mucosa during radiotherapy”, said Professor Eric Deutsch, co-founder of Graegis. “The medical need is evident, since radiotherapy patients frequently suffer significant QoL impairment due to damage to healthy skin and mucosa, in the worst cases leading to a loss of function and to interruption or cessation of treatment.”
”The therapeutic concept is compelling and has enabled us to build a strong team of employees, consultants, and world leading advisors from the fields of radio-oncology and dermato-oncology” said Thibaud Portal, CEO of Graegis. “We are confident that we will demonstrate the clinical effectiveness of our products, based on the very convincing body of data assembled so far, both in vivo and in living human skin explants.”
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