Immunethep

First vaccine in the world to prevent multiple bacterial infections

Resumen de la inversión

Categoría de impacto

Economía social

Tipo de inversión

Préstamo

Interés anual

6.25

Plazo

meses

Nivel de riesgo

C+

Immunethep is developing broad-coverage anti-bacterial immunotherapies targeting a novel virulence mechanism used by different pathogenic bacteria that allows them to cause the infection.

Their most advanced product is the Paragon Novel Vaccine (PNV), the first Vaccine in the world that simultaneously prevents infections from 5 of the most critical bacteria for mankind (S.aureus, S.pneumoniae, K.pneumoniae, E.coli, and S.agalactiae) which greatly reduces the need for antibiotics contributing to reducing Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

The funding raised through this campaign will enable Immunethep to speed up the procedures to start the clinical trials of PNV, thus shortening the time for this vaccine to be available in the market.

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is leading to an uncontrolled rise of superbugs. This global threat kills around 1.27 million people annually and is estimated to increase 8-fold by 2050, reaching 10 million yearly deaths. Today AMR costs around $30 billion a year to the EU and USA health systems.

According to the CDC (Center for Disease and Control Prevention), the five bacteria addressed by PNV are responsible for 80% of all life-threatening human infections. The therapies used to fight superbugs are antibiotics (treatment) and vaccines (prevention). The antibiotics are increasingly less effective (four of the bacteria mentioned are highly resistant to antibiotics) and contribute to AMR growth.

Immunethep has successfully concluded the preclinical trials with PNV. The promotor is now looking for funding to test further. A significant part of that funding is already assured with the support of a 2.5 million euro grant awarded to Immunethep by the European Innovation Council.

PNV will become the first ever multiple bacteria vaccine in the world to enter human clinical trials. This has been recently acknowledged by the World Health Organization in its report on Bacterial vaccines in clinical and preclinical development.

¿Cuál es el impacto?

Direct

Support of worldwide health with the research and development of vaccines: with the funding, Immunethep will be able to bring their innovative vaccine Paragon Novel Vaccine (PNV) to the step of human studies. This vaccine would be able to prevent infections from 5 critical bacteria (S.aureus, S.pneumoniae, K.pneumoniae, E.coli and S.agalactiae) that are linked to life-threatening infections in humans.

The use of the vaccine in the prevention of these bacterial diseases greatly reduces the need for antibiotics in the treatment, which contributes to reducing Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

Indirect

Access to essential vaccines: the vaccine under development protects against all the serotypes of the bacteria worldwide and doesn’t require a cold chain distribution as the formulation is stable even at elevated temperatures. This makes the vaccine widely implementable in many different contexts and conditions of storage (particularly relevant for Low and Middle-Income Countries).
Promotion of innovation: The entrance of the PNV in the stage of human studies makes it the first ever multiple bacteria vaccine in the world to enter human clinical trials.

Contribución a los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible
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Sobre el promotor

About

IMMUNETHEP, SA

Immunethep es una empresa portuguesa que se destaca por su capacidad para desarrollar vacunas en colaboración con grandes compañías farmacéuticas, abordando problemas globales clave. Hasta la fecha, el promotor ha desarrollado dos vacunas basadas en conocimientos científicos internos, con ensayos preclínicos exitosos:

PNV (una vacuna antibacteriana que previene infecciones, reduciendo considerablemente la Resistencia Antimicrobiana, AMR).
SILBA (vacuna contra el SARS-CoV-2 para prevenir la COVID-19).

Immunethep fue fundada en octubre de 2013 por Pedro Madureira y Venture Catalysts. Pedro Madureira (Ph.D.) es un destacado investigador que desarrolló su trabajo previo en la Universidad de Oporto para comprender cómo las bacterias eran capaces de superar nuestro sistema inmunológico y causar infecciones, descubriendo y describiendo en detalle la virulencia utilizada por las bacterias que es objetivo de las Inmunoterapias de Immunethep. Venture Catalysts es una empresa que apoya a los emprendedores integrando startups como emprendedores residentes. Ofrecen soluciones de gestión, financieras y de desarrollo empresarial para nuevas empresas.

Immunethep está ubicada en Cantanhede, en el Biocant Park, donde encontraron las condiciones ideales para comenzar el desarrollo independiente de inmunoterapias. Su objetivo es salvar millones de vidas al prevenir infecciones de cinco de las bacterias más mortales a nivel global.

Immunethep cuenta con un equipo de 10 personas y actualmente están buscando duplicar esta cifra para dar el siguiente paso en las primeras pruebas en humanos, obtener la aprobación regulatoria para su producto más desarrollado (PNV) y continuar con el desarrollo de la inmunoterapia terapéutica UNImAb.

Immunethep es un actor reconocido en la industria. Colaboran con dos importantes compañías farmacéuticas y con organizaciones como la Fundación Bill y Melinda Gates.

Sitio web del promotor

www.immunethep.com

Equipo

[{"id":65,"promoter_id":278,"name":"Bruno Santos","description":"Bruno Santos, M.Eng, MBA – Co-founder and CEO at Immunethep. Bruno has a background in Biological Engineering and over 10 years of experience in Consulting, Quality and Continuous Improvement Engineering in high-tech industries. He is a co-founder of Venture Catalysts, a company focused on the creation of start-ups based on scientific projects and supports visionary researchers and entrepreneurs. Bruno adds the complementary business and entrepreneurial expertise required, having done the whole cycle from creation to exit.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/brunommsantos/","role":"CEO","member_photo":"https://991934249232-prod-octobercms-public-storage.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/public/63a/c23/f66/63ac23f66b17e027030966.jpg","avatar_id":74475},{"id":66,"promoter_id":278,"name":"Marta Vieira","description":"P.h.D in Biomedical Sciences from Universidade do Porto, Marta has over ten years of experience in the field of research and joined the Immunethep team seven years ago.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/marta-vieira-6588a9125/","role":"Head of Research","member_photo":"https://991934249232-prod-octobercms-public-storage.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/public/63a/c24/3a4/63ac243a4d211102964553.jpg","avatar_id":74476},{"id":67,"promoter_id":278,"name":"Pedro Madureira","description":"Pedro Madureira, PhD - Co-founder and CSO at Immunethep. Pedro is the lead discoverer of immunosuppressive molecules excreted by bacterial pathogens. This research is the basis for the immunotherapies that are being developed at Immunethep. Furthermore, he is the inventor of a European Patent Application concerning this vaccine in June 2014.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedro-madureira-8812039a/","role":"CSO","member_photo":"https://991934249232-prod-octobercms-public-storage.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/public/63a/c61/a8e/63ac61a8eef34689781564.jpg","avatar_id":74518}]

Modelo de negocio
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