Graegis Pharmaceuticals, a startup developing new therapies aimed at preventing the side effects of radiotherapies, is set to complete the regulatory nonclinical package allowing entry in clinical trials.
The company, founded in the last quarter of 2021, spent the first year of operations running critical experiments on the new therapies, which will target radiation side effects on healthy skin and mucosa.
“Our goal is to provide patients with a convenient, safe and effective protection of skin and mucosa during radiotherapy,” said Eric Deutsch, co-founder of Graegis.
Graegis – for safe and effective skincare
“The medical need is evident, since radiotherapy patients frequently suffer significant quality of life impairment due to damage to healthy skin and mucosa, in the worst cases leading to a loss of function and to interruption or cessation of treatment.”
Co-founded by Gustave Roussy, Paris-Saclay University and Clevexel Pharma, Graegis Pharmaceuticals has received the first tranche from a total series A round of €10 million ($10.5 million) raised from private investors and prominent Venture Capital contributors with the support of Paris-based AEC Partners.
Graegis Pharmaceuticals has initiated two lead programs for radiation induced dermatitis in breast cancer patients and radiation induced mucositis for head and neck cancer patients and is now planning to initiate clinical trials in 2023.
Compelling concept
The startup hopes to utilize topical formulations of the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) scavenger aprocystine designed to avoid systemic side effects and to fit seamlessly in the radiotherapy patient journey. There is currently no approved preventive option for this growing patient population.
“The therapeutic concept is compelling and has enabled us to build a strong team of employees, consultants, and world leading advisors from the fields of radio-oncology and dermato-oncology” said Thibaud Portal, CEO of Graegis.
“We are confident that we will demonstrate the clinical effectiveness of our products, based on the very convincing body of data assembled so far, both in vivo and in living human skin explants.”
Graegis Pharmaceuticals was founded on the basis of the collaborative work of Eric Deutsch and Clevexel Pharma, led by their CEO Christian Bloy.