DISCO Pharmaceuticals launches as the surfaceome company with EUR 20 Million in Seed Financing
- DISCO Pharmaceuticals has raised seed financing of EUR 20 million and is backed by a world-leading investor syndicate.
- The company has completed the first-ever map of the surfaceome of Small Cell Lung Cancer and is developing proprietary antibody-based treatments for it.
- The company is working on Microsatellite-Stable Colorectal Cancer and has a pipeline of further undisclosed programs.
- The experienced team, led by CEO Roman Thomas, includes leading biopharma executives Dieter Weinand and Carsten Reinhardt.
- The company's surfaceome mapping platform has the potential to transform oncology treatment options and improve outcomes for patients.
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Insights
The recent advancements by DISCO Pharmaceuticals in surfaceome mapping technology could herald a significant shift in the treatment of cancers such as Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) and Microsatellite-Stable Colorectal Cancer. From a clinical perspective, the ability to map the entire cancer cell surface and identify novel targets is a game-changer. Current treatments for SCLC are limited and often have considerable side effects. The introduction of therapies with higher specificity could not only enhance efficacy but also reduce adverse effects, improving patient quality of life.
Furthermore, the focus on Microsatellite-Stable Colorectal Cancer is noteworthy due to the limited effective treatments available for this subgroup. The potential for developing bi-specific antibodies could offer a new line of defense against cancers that have proven resistant to existing therapies. As an oncologist, the promise of these new modalities is exciting and could represent a leap forward in personalized medicine.
The biotech sector is highly driven by innovation and the potential for disruptive technologies to create value. DISCO's surfaceome mapping platform represents a significant investment opportunity, as it addresses a clear unmet need in the oncology space. With a seed financing of EUR 20 million and the backing of prominent investors such as Sofinnova Partners, the company's financial foundation appears solid for the near term.
However, the long-term success of DISCO will hinge on its ability to translate its surfaceome discoveries into viable therapeutics. With a robust pipeline, including proprietary antibody-based treatments for SCLC, the company is positioned to capitalize on a market that has been historically underserved. The involvement of experienced executives such as Dieter Weinand suggests that DISCO is likely to pursue a strategic approach to development and commercialization, which could impact the stock market positively if milestones are met.
The biological implications of DISCO's surfaceome mapping are profound. By identifying proteins across the cancer cell surface, DISCO is not just expanding the number of potential targets but also the quality of those targets in terms of their relevance to cancer biology. This could lead to a paradigm shift in how we approach cancer treatment, moving away from broad-spectrum chemotherapies to more targeted, personalized treatments.
The scalability of DISCO's technology is particularly important as it suggests that the approach could be applied to a wide range of cancers, thus potentially benefiting a large patient population. The company's ability to map the surfaceome of SCLC—a type of cancer known for its aggressiveness and poor prognosis—within months is a testament to the platform's efficiency and could accelerate the timeline from discovery to clinical application.
- Transformative surfaceome discovery technology enables a comprehensive map of the cancer cell surface to identify a multitude of novel druggable targets.
- Pipeline programs in Small Cell Lung Cancer and Microsatellite-Stable Colorectal Cancer.
- Experienced team of individuals with expertise in surface proteomics and oncology from academia, biotech and pharma, led by CEO Roman Thomas.
- Leading biopharma executives Dieter Weinand (previously CEO at Bayer Pharmaceuticals) and Carsten Reinhardt (CDO at Immatics), join the DISCO Board of Directors as Chairman and Independent Director, respectively.
The development of new treatment modalities in oncology is growing at an ever-increasing rate, but the lack of cancer-specific cell surface targets limits the application to a few clinically effective targets. The development of new biologics, such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and bi-specific antibodies, is on the rise; however, there are currently less than 30 molecular targets which form the basis of all antibody-based therapies. Therefore, there is a significant need to identify novel cancer-specific targets and target pairs.
DISCO's pioneering surfaceome mapping platform transforms the current approach of target discovery for large molecule R&D. The technology identifies proteins and protein communities across the entire cancer cell surface in a scalable manner, thus addressing the need for target candidates for both mono- and bi-specific antibodies. These insights enable the development of a multitude of cancer-specific therapies, with the potential to boost efficacy and reduce side effects for patients. DISCO has started to create an internal pipeline of novel anti-cancer therapeutics leveraging this knowledge.
DISCO has completed the first-ever map of the surfaceome of a cancer type, Small Cell Lung Cancer, (SCLC) and is developing proprietary antibody-based treatments for SCLC, which has historically been difficult to treat. DISCO is currently working on Microsatellite-Stable Colorectal Cancer, which is associated with a high unmet medical need and for which only a few treatment options are available. The Company's pipeline includes further undisclosed programs.
DISCO was spun out of ETH
In addition to the experienced Board of Directors from the investor syndicate, Dieter Weinand will join as Chairman of the Board. Dieter Weinand was previously the CEO of Bayer Pharmaceuticals and has held leadership positions at Pfizer, BMS and Sanofi. He currently serves on the Board of Coya Therapeutics (NASDAQ: COYA), as Chairman of the Boards of Replimune (NASDAQ: REPL), Umoja, and Inspirna, and as Executive Chairman of Mnemo Therapeutics. Furthermore, Carsten Reinhardt, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Development Officer at Immatics (NASDAQ: IMTX), joins the DISCO Board as an Independent Director. Previously, he was EVP and Chief Medical Officer at Micromet Inc, International Medical Leader at Hoffmann-La Roche, and has been serving as a director on supervisory boards to a variety of biopharma companies.
Roman Thomas, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, at DISCO Pharmaceuticals, said: "Today, we are launching DISCO Pharmaceuticals and its breakthrough technology after a decade of research by our exceptional team. We believe that our surfaceome discovery technology is truly disruptive and will transform oncology treatment options and ultimately improve outcomes for patients. The surfaceome mapping in Small Cell Lung Cancer – that we completed within months – has validated our technology platform and approach, demonstrating its potential, and we look forward to applying it to different indications."
Maina Bhaman, Partner at Sofinnova Partners, added: "DISCO is uniquely positioned to transform cancer care. The team, which brings together individuals with diverse backgrounds from academia, biotech and pharma, combined with its unique surfaceome discovery technology, enables comprehensive target information which neither standard proteomics, nor genome or transcriptome sequencing can provide."
Dieter Weinand, newly appointed Chairman of the DISCO Board of Directors, commented: "Expanding the possible target space in oncology has been a bottleneck in the industry for decades. I am thrilled to be working with the truly exceptional people at DISCO as I firmly believe that they will be able to overcome this hurdle by using their disruptive surfaceome discovery engine.
About DISCO Pharmaceuticals
DISCO Pharma, operating out of
DISCO has a highly experienced team with a strong track record in cancer drug discovery and entrepreneurial value creation, as well as a deep understanding of surface proteomics born out of ETH in
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SOURCE DISCO Pharmaceuticals
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