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The plant and animal kingdom can help scientists study areas like extreme metabolic changes, obesity resistance, and muscle preservation, which can lead to the discovery of novel therapeutic targets and the development of drugs that mimic these natural protective mechanisms. Plus, substances derived from animals, such as snake venoms, can also lead to the development of therapeutics to treat diseases such as cancer. In this article, we take a look at five biomimicry companies harnessing nature’s wisdom for the benefit of human health.
Table of contents
Bioxodes
Leading biomimicry drug candidate of Bioxodes: BIOX-101 for hemorrhagic stroke

Bioxodes is developing a first-in-class drug candidate for the prevention of thrombosis and neuroinflammation in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage, also known as hemorrhagic stroke. It occurs when a blood vessel within the brain ruptures, leading to bleeding within the brain tissue, and is a particularly devastating form of stroke due to its sudden onset and the severe neurological damage it can cause.
By studying the saliva of a tick, Bioxodes discovered several constituents that can reduce inflammation and blood clotting without causing further bleeding. This research led to its lead drug candidate, BIOX-101, which has a unique mechanism of action by targeting coagulation factors (FXIIa and FXIa) and neutrophils, which are key driver components of neuroinflammatory and thrombotic processes involved in intracerebral hemorrhage. It is currently being tested in phase 2 clinical studies. The first group of eight patients was enrolled in June 2024, and interim data from the first 16 patients are expected by the fourth quarter of 2024.
In November 2023, the biomimicry company secured €12 million ($13 million) in a series A funding round, allowing it to continue the development of BIOX-101 through to the end of phase 2a trials.
Celtic Biotech
Leading biomimicry drug candidate of Celtic Biotech: CB-24 for cancer

Venomous animal species can produce venoms that contain up to 100 different molecules. These venoms are composed of different complex chemical mixtures containing pharmacologically active components, such as proteins, peptides, and enzymes, that have specific biological activities. Biomimicry company Celtic Biotech is making use of these components, working on the development of therapies sourced from specialized receptor-binding proteins found in snake venoms to produce a potentially curative treatment option for cancer patients with late-stage aggressive tumors.
The company’s lead candidate, known as CB-24, has been isolated from the venom of the South American rattlesnake Crotalus durissus terrificus. The candidate is essentially created from a heterodimeric cytotoxic phospholipase complex protein that has an inbuilt targeting mechanism and selectivity for tumor cells, called crotoxin. The therapy contains the subunits A and B; once injected into the body via infusion pump, the A subunit actively and selectively locates malignant cells while bypassing healthy cells, and once cancerous cells are located, it locks on and releases the B subunit, which attacks the cancer cell surfaces.
CB-24 does not interfere with the DNA or metabolism of healthy cells. Instead, it interacts with the cellular membrane of cancer cells, making it less toxic and more effective than existing treatments. The candidate is currently being tested in phase 1 trials.
In June 2023, Celtic Biotech was awarded the EU European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator grant, giving the company €2.5 million ($2.7 million).
ExeVir
Leading biomimicry drug candidate of ExeVir: XVR011 for COVID-19

ExeVir’s focus is developing llama-derived nanobody therapies for broad protection against infectious diseases. The company’s modular platform technology uses camelid antibody fragments (VHH) as building blocks to create new therapeutic compounds that are delivered to the body directly, helping it neutralize invaders and buying time for it to mount its own response. Camelid nanobodies are about a quarter of the size of regular antibodies and are particularly suitable for this procedure. Their simple structure makes them very stable, cost-effective, and easy to produce. They can bind to multiple epitopes on a bacterial cell or viral particle, including binding to very small and specific antigens that are inaccessible to regular antibodies.
The biomimicry company’s initial focus is on COVID-19. Its lead candidate, named XVR011, is being developed for different variants of the virus and has completed phase 1a and phase 1b studies. The nanobody binds to a region of the spike protein on the surface of the virus that is less likely to mutate than other parts of the virus, meaning that the treatment could also offer broad protection against other coronaviruses. In January 2024, ExeVir also reported that its other candidate, XVR012, which is made up of two of its other COVID-19 antibody therapies (XVR013m and XVR014), demonstrated potency in neutralizing COVID-19 Omicron variants.
ExeVir raised €23 million ($25 million) in series A financing in 2020. More recently, in 2023, the company also secured a venture debt financing agreement of up to €25 million ($26.5 million) with the European Investment Bank (EIB).
Fauna Bio

Fauna Bio is using its exclusive biobank of genetic data and its in-house artificial intelligence (AI) platform, Convergence, to replicate how extreme animal models resist disease, which could help pave the way for the creation of new drugs that do the same for humans. Essentially, by comparing the genomes of diverse mammals, the company can uncover long-term patterns of mutations that highlight the DNA bases crucial for survival.
Fauna Bio is working with the Zoonomia Consortium to produce a whole-genome alignment of 240 mammals, and protein-coding alignments for 428 mammals. The company has also collected thousands of transcriptomes, proteomes, and epigenomes, as well as more than 46 billion sequence reads. It currently has data sets and early discovery programs across a broad range of diseases, including neurodegeneration, heart failure, kidney disease, gastrointestinal (GI) disease, and broad mechanisms relating to inflammation and fibrosis, as well as tissue regeneration.
In 2021, Fauna Bio raised $9 million in seed funding. And, more recently, in December 2023, the biomimicry company announced a strategic collaboration with Eli Lilly to apply its Convergence platform to support preclinical drug discovery efforts in obesity, working together to identify multiple drug targets. The deal is worth up to $494 million.
Isogenica

Isogenica is an expert in the discovery of small-format antibodies, with a specialist focus on camelid-derived VHHs, which the company says offer exceptional robustness, flexibility, and scalability across varied therapeutic and diagnostic applications such as ADC, bi-specifics, cell therapies, and much more.
Isogenica uses its CIS display technology and ultra-high diversity synthetic libraries to mine much larger libraries than is possible with conventional screening techniques, increasing the chances of finding the best binders. Utilizing synthetic libraries means that the company can find new VHHs faster, as it doesn’t need to wait for an animal to develop an immune response to a target antigen. It also means that it has more control over the screening conditions, such as enriching for particular domains, epitopes, or species cross-reactivity.
The company has discovered novel VHHs – as well as peptides and fibronectin-based molecules – for big pharma, biotechs, and academic groups. For example, it has entered into partnerships with AstraZeneca, for the discovery of peptides that are specific for and biologically active against targets provided by AstraZeneca, and Takeda, for the discovery, development, and commercialization of therapeutic products.
Soricimed
Leading biomimicry drug candidate of Soricimed: SOR-C13 for cancer

Established following the discovery of a unique and proprietary family of paralytic and anti-cancer peptides, Soricimed is committed to translating this discovery into novel therapies that deliver powerful treatment options for those living with devastating conditions. Specifically, the discovery of soricidin, a toxin in the saliva of the venomous northern short-tailed shrew, has led to the creation and ongoing development of the company’s lead candidate, SOR-C13.
SOR-C13 is a targeted anti-cancer peptide that binds with affinity and selectivity to TRPV6, disrupting its function. TRPV6 is a calcium channel over-expressed in solid tumor cancers and plays a central role in a biochemical cascade that results in the upregulation of an array of pro-cancerous genes. The drug candidate has been granted orphan drug status for the treatment of pancreatic and ovarian cancers by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is currently being studied at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in a phase 1b clinical trial.
In 2021, the biomimicry company announced a partnership with Orano Med focused on the development of a novel peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) to treat solid tumors. PRRT relies on peptides for the targeted delivery of isotopes that emit highly energetic particles to cancer cells, leading to their destruction while minimizing collateral damage to healthy surrounding cells. Therefore, the companies will use Orano Med’s radioactive alpha emitter, lead-212, linked to Soricimed’s TRPV6 cancer receptor-targeting peptides to investigate the use of this approach in cancer treatment.
Biomimicry biotech research: An emerging field
Although there are not yet many biotech companies specifically focusing on biomimicry for drug development, research in this area is growing. Unlike plants, from which people have been isolating specific compounds to create medications for more than 100 years, molecules in animals that have the potential to positively impact human health have historically been too difficult to locate or extract. However, today, the tools of genomics, proteomics, and transcriptomics have revolutionized how scientists can discover compounds in animals that have the potential to become drugs. This all means that some of the most exciting therapies in the future could come from animals, and it is likely that more biotech companies will be focusing on biomimicry techniques to develop drug candidates in the coming years.
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