Our strategy for the treatment of tumor and immunological pathologies

Strategy

AC BioScience is focused on personalized molecular therapies; that is, medical care designed to optimize efficiency or therapeutic benefit for particular groups of patients by using molecular profiling.

We identify and develop only those molecules with a previous history of extensive and successful pre-clinical research. The company does not conduct R&D discovery. Two of its proprietary cancer molecules have already successfully passed the discovery stage and pre-clinical testing; clinical trials are scheduled to start in early 2021.

The company is also pursuing a drug re-purposing strategy wherever possible. This involves novel uses for existing drugs with well-established safety and tolerance profiles. Our compound for tumor vasculature normalization is a re-purposed drug.

To maximize resources and ensure sustainability, the company operates with a lean organization. This is possible through the deep involvement of the two co-founders in strategic and scientific development and operations, and the obtainment of research grants. Drug development and clinical validation are outsourced to specialist companies or academic institutions.

Innovative Approach

For one of its molecules, the company is challenging the traditional antiangiogenic approach to cancer therapy. Our neo-adjuvant therapy is designed to improve the efficacy of all types of chemo- and radiotherapy for solid tumors.

One of our new molecules (ACB1801) also holds promise, within immune-oncology, to induce F-actin network remodeling and thereby potentiate the therapeutic benefit of anti-PD-1.

R&D Priorities

The company’s initial targets are the treatment of tumoral and immunological pathologies.

One of our projects aims to improve the efficacy of chemo- and radiotherapy in the treatment of solid tumors, using sphingosine-1-phosphate (S.1.p) metabolism modulators as tumor vascular normalizers.

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A Beta-carboline derivative (ACB1801) has successfully undergone pre-clinical testing, the goal of which was to revert the tumor phenotype and thereby enhance the efficacy of checkpoint-inhibitor immune therapy.

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The company has also acquired a patent for an antitumor cationic amphipathic peptide (CAP6). It belongs to a new generation of cancer drugs with limited side effects and generally greater efficacy.

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Business Model

Our “success by design” business model starts with the identification of new medical strategies for the treatment of cancer.

AC BioScience:

Identifies molecules for which important (pre-)clinical research has already been conducted, and which have a promising safety and efficacy profile. The company does not conduct basic R&D for drug discovery.
Turns its products into knowledge assets, by creating or acquiring intellectual property.
Conducts research in collaboration with academic and medical institutions for product development and (pre-)clinical validation, using drug re-purposing wherever possible.
Delivers final products with regulatory approval up to and including clinical proof-of-concept (phase IIa) or phase IIb.
Licences (or sells licences) to global pharmaceutical companies.

Intellectual Property

AC BioScience’s objective is to turn innovation into economic value and to secure optimum protection for its intellectual property. To this end, the company has been diligently protecting its innovations, research and validation work by filing patent applications or acquiring patents for their broadest applications.

Partnerships

University of Geneva (UNIGE)

A Swiss government-funded collaborative pre-clinical research project with the Molecular Pharmacology Group of the University of Geneva has started in April 2018. It aims at reinforcing the proof-of-concept supporting the use of sphingosine-1-phosphate metabolism modulators as tumor vascular normalizers.

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Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH)

A pre-clinical murine study is being conducted at the biomedical research laboratories of the LIH to measure the impact of tumor reversion on anti-PD-1 efficacy.

Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) logo

University of Lausanne (UNIL)

An Innosuisse-funded collaborative research project with the Biochemistry Group of the University of Lausanne will start in June 2020.The goal of the project is to demonstrate that the immunostimulating betacarboline molecule (ACB1801) be used to overcome parasite-elicited immune subversion to treat certain infectious diseases alone or in combination with anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors.

Network of Oncology Competency Centers

Professor Christian Auclair maintains a network of partnerships with the leading centers in the fight against cancer in Europe, and in particular with the Institut Gustave Roussy in Paris. Research and clinical work is being performed with the Institut Curie in Paris, the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and EPFL in Lausanne.