Jalon Therapeutics, a Paris, France-based biotechnology company specializing in new approaches for inducing cancer cell death, raised nearly €2M in funding.
After a seed funding of €625K raised at the beginning of 2022 from Family offices and Business Angels, Jalon Therapeutics won the Innov’Up PIA call for an amount of €450K and issued convertible bonds subscribed by BPI France on November 29, 2022 for an amount of €450K. In 2021, the company won the “Bourse French Tech” and then the “I-Lab” price, collecting cumulative funding of €440K.
Co-founded in 2021 by Jean-Luc Poyet, Prof. Martine Bagot, Prof. Hervé Dombret, Jérôme Tiollier, Jean-Christophe Rain and Philippe Salphati, and led by David Loison, CEO, Jalon Therapeutics aims to develop innovative therapies that inactivate vital tumor signaling pathways. For that purpose, the company leverages its deep understanding of stress-related protein-protein interaction networks that sustain the malignant phenotype while not being necessary for normal cells. This mechanism, defined as “non-oncogene addiction” (NOA), offers potential novel, safer and more effective therapeutic strategies.
Jalon develops a portfolio of oncology products resulting from an innovative therapeutic strategy focused on inhibiting the cellular functions of the AAC-11 protein. To maintain the survival of tumor cells, AAC-11 binds to protein partners. Jalon Therapeutics has developed peptides which, acting as molecular decoys inside the cell, block these interactions. In addition, its peptides bind to AAC-11 partners also present in the membrane of tumor cells, triggering their destruction by membranolysis. These targeted mechanisms potentially address a wide variety of cancers, as indicated by preclinical in-vitroand in-vivo efficacy studies.
Its first-in-class drug candidate JRT39 is in advanced preclinical development. The company now aims to raise the capital needed to finance the regulatory studies prior to future phase I/II clinical trials as well as proof of clinical concept.
FinSMEs
16/12/2022