Located right here in Barcelona, Oryzon is one of the world’s few epigenetics biotechs. I sat down with CEO Carlos Buesa to talk about its approach.
Since its foundation in 2000, Oryzon has gone on to become the leader in epigenetic medicine and focuses on oncology. Most recently, the company announced the success of its lead candidate, ORY-1001, in Phase I for acute leukemia. The drug hit its primary and secondary endpoints, proving to be efficacious and tolerable in 41 patients.
Epigenetics has been a field of fascination for its links to cancer, but few intrepid biotechs have tried to develop a therapy out of it. Enthusiasm might have been renewed following a study in Nature Genetics that illustrated how epigenetic modifications allow tumor cell survival in healthy organs; but Oryzon has gotten a head start in the race!
Oryzon is leading the way with co-founder Carlos Buesa at the helm. He not only chairs the Board of Directors at his company but also serves on a number of others, including the Governing Board of ASEBIO, the Association of Spanish Biotechs.
You’d think with all of these obligations he wouldn’t have a spare moment — but I was lucky enough to catch him with a spare moment at lunch time; he even took the time to soothe my camera fright!
In the interview, I asked him more about the company’s R&D strategy and his view on the Spanish biotech ecosystem. Here’s what he had to say!
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