One-year old AlgoTx announced it completed a 2.6M€ in Seed Capital. The French biotech start-up, hosted by the Paris Biotech Santé incubator is developing ATX01, a treatment for neuropathic pain caused by chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN)
Over half of cancer patients treated with chemotherapy develop CIPN and experience sensory symptoms and pain in the hands and feet1: loss of sensitivity, tingling, cold and intense pain2 can persist for months to years after treatment3,4. CIPN can prevent patients from walking or using their hands, thus deeply affecting their quality of life.
CIPN is found in over two million patients each year in the US and Europe5,6, representing the first cause for modification or interruption of chemotherapy. To this date, no therapeutic approach has offered a satisfactory response for patients and their caregivers, oncologists and pain specialists.
Promising exploratory data.
Inspired by clinical experience at a specialized pain treatment center, Algotx’s ATX01 targets topical treatment of CIPN by repositioning amitriptyline into a suitable formulation.
Early observations with the precursor of ATX01, published in January 2019 in Supportive Care in Cancer7 were the starting point of our development.
The completed Seeding Round enables AlgoTx to initiate the pre-clinical development of ATX01.
Strong human and entrepreneurial dynamics.
AlgoTx was founded in April 2018 by Stéphane Thiroloix and Olivier Bohuon, both seasoned professionals of the pharmaceutical world, where they developed solid strategic, operational, scientific and financial expertise in the companies they contributed to lead. Beyond ATX01, AlgoTx foresees the development of a portfolio of additional treatments for complex pain.
A strong operational team is gathered to execute the project, supported by a high-level Scientific Advisory Board and experienced Board of Directors.
After operating for a year in financial autonomy, in part thanks to support from BPIFrance, this Seed funding round enables Algotx to boost its activity. “Working on such a clinically relevant indication is a privilege and I am delighted with this strengthened financial support towards the development of ATX01, so it can become a reference treatment for chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain”,Stephane Thiroloix, co-founder and President of AlgoTx comments.
Strong with an IP portfolio and solid pre-clinical data, ATX01’s next funding round will take place in early 2020, to fund clinical development.
References:
- Kerckhove N, Collin A, Condé S,Chaleteix C, Pezet D and Balayssac D (2017) Long-Term Effects, Pathophysiological Mechanisms, and Risk Factors of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathies: A Comprehensive Literature Review. Front. Pharmacol. 8:86.
- Kerckhove N, et al. Neuropathies périphériques chimio-induites : symptomatologie et épidémiologie. Bull Cancer (2018)
- Park, Susanna B., David Goldstein, Arun V. Krishnan, Cindy S-Y Lin, Michael L. Friedlander, James Cassidy, Martin Koltzenburg, et Matthew C. Kiernan. « Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neurotoxicity: A Critical Analysis ». CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians63, no6 (novembre 2013): 419‑37.
- Argyriou, Andreas, Athanasios Kyritsis, Thomas Makatsoris, et Haralabos Kalofonos. « Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Adults: A Comprehensive Update of the Literature ». Cancer Management and Research, mars 2014, 135.
- American Cancer Society. « Cancer Treatment & Survivorship Facts & Figures 2016-2017 », 2016.
- « Global Cancer Observatory ».
- Rossignol, Julien, Benoit Cozzi, François Liebaert, Séverine Hatton, Marcel-Louis Viallard, Olivier Hermine, et Céline Greco. « High Concentration of Topical Amitriptyline for Treating Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathies ». Supportive Care in Cancer, 4 janvier 2019.