Orio Therapeutics, a start-up based at Monthey’s BioArk, has won the CHF 40,000 prize alongside KIDEMIS and Rheo, with a project designed to reduce drug use, costs and side-effects, while improving therapeutic outcomes.
Proud to be one of the three winners of this second stage of Venture Kick, Orio Therapeutics had to demonstrate the solidity of its commercial strategy, in order to hope to reach the final of this edition. Participation in Venture Kick, beyond the financial aspect, is also a way of gaining visibility and promoting, on a national and even international scale, this innovative technology which is revolutionizing antiviral therapies!
Redefining regeneration through protein engineering
There are promising therapeutic proteins for tissue repair, but their clinical translation is often poor due to inadequate administration. The limited success of growth factors and other protein-based therapies is attributed to inappropriate delivery methods. The molecules administered tend to disperse rapidly, requiring repeated high doses to maintain sufficient levels at the injection site. This strategy of excessive protein delivery often leads to serious side effects.
To counter this, Orio Therapeutics has developed a versatile delivery system based on protein interactions, which immobilizes proteins at the site of administration, enhancing local therapeutic effects and minimizing systemic diffusion. This approach reduces drug use, costs and side effects, while improving therapeutic outcomes.
Orio Therapeutics’ first application is a cardioprotective drug for post-heart attack care. Both EPFL alumni, Prof. Mikaël Martino (right on the picture ) and Dr. Ziad Julier (left on the picture), developed the technology at Monash University‘s Australian Institute of Regenerative Medicine and joined the company in Monthey in early 2023.
What next?
Orio Therapeutics will continue to operate in both Monthey and Melbourne to capitalize on the strategic advantages offered by both locations. Stage 1 funding from the Venture Kick competition will strengthen fundraising efforts and facilitate market validation.
