Porsolt, GlioCure, and the University Hospital of Angers, will join forces in the “Glio Preclinical Solutions (GPS)”, collaborative project to develop new and innovative models for the evaluation of first- and best-in class innovative cancer therapies for

Publié le Thursday 23 June 2022

Angers and Le Genest-Saint-Isle, France – GlioCure, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the discovery and development of new drugs targeting glioma and pediatric brain tumors, the University Hospital of Angers and its Neurosurgery laboratory, members of the French Glioblastoma Biobank specializing in the clinical evaluation and treatment of patients with brain tumors, and Porsolt, a contract research organization specializing in the development of preclinical models, today announced the beginning of a collaborative project to develop tools to evaluate innovative cancer therapies for glioblastoma. This two year project has been endorsed by the interregional cluster Atlanpole Biotherapies and is supported by a grant from the Region Pays de la Loire through a “Collaborative R&D Project” grant. Glioblastomas are the most common and aggressive brain tumors with a median 5-year patient survival of less than 10%. Approximately 250,000 new cases are diagnosed worldwide each year, with almost as many deaths recorded each year. Unfortunately, there are no currently available therapies that can efficiently prolong the lives of patients, due to the complexity and heterogeneity of this disease. The GPS project will combine the expertise of clinicians specialized in the treatment of brain tumors, a drug development company specializing in neuro-oncology, and a preclinical research service company, to develop new predictive models of the disease, including in-vitro organoid cell cultures, and in-vivo tumor-bearing animal models, with the aim of developing specific innovative targeting tools for therapy which will be validated in these models. At the end of the project, new preclinical research services will be marketed, and a technology for targeted delivery of bioactive principles, GlioVector™, will be characterized prior to its clinical evaluation. We hope that these new services and therapies will provide new effective therapeutic strategies for glioblastoma patients. “This is an exciting collaboration, where Porsolt’s expertise and capabilities can assist with developing valuable tools, including in-vitro glioblastoma organoid models and patient-derived in-vivo models, to evaluate and support GlioCure’s GlioVector™ technology and further innovative drugs” said Dr. Guillaume Froget, President and CEO of Porsolt. Dr. Tristan Rupp, Head of Oncology at Porsolt added “This is a unique opportunity for Porsolt to participate in the development of innovative solutions for glioblastoma patients in collaboration with the university hospital of Angers and the team of the Pr. Phillippe Menei”. “We are delighted to participate in the GPS project, which demonstrates that Pays-de-la-Loire has a wealth of expertise and know-how in a medical field where competition is global from the outset and success can only be collective at our scale.,” said Louis-Marie Bachelot, CEO of GlioCure. “The development of new therapies is a long process, particularly in the field of neuro-oncology where the very high heterogeneity of tumors and the need for drugs to cross the blood-brain barrier that protects the brain multiply the difficulties. Having robust predictive models is therefore a valuable asset in the selection of new drug candidates.” said Dr. Claire Lepinoux-Chambaud, Head of Research at GlioCure. About Porsolt Porsolt SAS, located in Le Genest-Saint-Isle, France, is an internationally recognized and long established global preclinical Contract Research Organization (CRO). Porsolt works with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutes, and not-for-profit organizations, offering specialized preclinical testing services across many disease areas, physiological systems and processes. Porsolt provides a range of services including in-vitro and in-vivo drug discovery, screening, as well as efficacy and pharmacological safety testing, using both standardized and innovative techniques in full compliance with GLP (ICH S7). For additional information about the organization, please visit www.porsolt.com or email us at contact@porsolt.com. About GlioCure GlioCure is a drug development company specialized in neuro-oncology that aims to give hope to patients with brain tumors. Since the end of 2016, GlioCure has acquired operational capabilities and gathered all the skills and know-how in translational research and pharmaceutical sciences to identify, select and develop new molecules of interest in neuro-oncology all the way to authorization of the first clinical trials. In particular, GlioCure has initiated the development of GC01, a best-in-class anti-tumor peptide, for which the company has exclusive worldwide rights, and benefits from more than 10 years of academic research, GC01 is currently in late non-regulatory preclinical development for the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM), the most common and aggressive brain tumor. For more information, please visit: gliocure.com About University Hospital of Angers With more than 100,000 hospitalizations and nearly 500,000 consultations per year, the Hospital of Angers is one of the major French healthcare establishments. Its governance and its authorities are those of a large public institution with a long history of 8 centuries.

Angers and Le Genest-Saint-Isle, France – GlioCure, a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the discovery and development of new drugs targeting glioma and pediatric brain tumors, the University Hospital of Angers and its Neurosurgery laboratory, members of the French Glioblastoma Biobank specializing in the clinical evaluation and treatment of patients with brain tumors, and Porsolt, a contract research organization specializing in the development of preclinical models, today announced the beginning of a collaborative project to develop tools to evaluate innovative cancer therapies for glioblastoma. This two year project has been endorsed by the interregional cluster Atlanpole Biotherapies and is supported by a grant from the Region Pays de la Loire through a “Collaborative R&D Project” grant.

Glioblastomas are the most common and aggressive brain tumors with a median 5-year patient survival of less than 10%. Approximately 250,000 new cases are diagnosed worldwide each year, with almost as many deaths recorded each year. Unfortunately, there are no currently available therapies that can efficiently prolong the lives of patients, due to the complexity and heterogeneity of this disease.

The GPS project will combine the expertise of clinicians specialized in the treatment of brain tumors, a drug development company specializing in neuro-oncology, and a preclinical research service company, to develop new predictive models of the disease, including in-vitro organoid cell cultures, and in-vivo tumor-bearing animal models, with the aim of developing specific innovative targeting tools for therapy which will be validated in these models.

At the end of the project, new preclinical research services will be marketed, and a technology for targeted delivery of bioactive principles, GlioVector™, will be characterized prior to its clinical evaluation. We hope that these new services and therapies will provide new effective therapeutic strategies for glioblastoma patients.

“This is an exciting collaboration, where Porsolt’s expertise and capabilities can assist with developing valuable tools, including in-vitro glioblastoma organoid models and patient-derived in-vivo models, to evaluate and support GlioCure’s GlioVector™ technology and further innovative drugs” said Dr. Guillaume Froget, President and CEO of Porsolt. Dr. Tristan Rupp, Head of Oncology at Porsolt added “This is a unique opportunity for Porsolt to participate in the development of innovative solutions for glioblastoma patients in collaboration with the university hospital of Angers and the team of the Pr. Phillippe Menei”.

“We are delighted to participate in the GPS project, which demonstrates that Pays-de-la-Loire has a wealth of expertise and know-how in a medical field where competition is global from the outset and success can only be collective at our scale.,” said Louis-Marie Bachelot, CEO of GlioCure. “The development of new therapies is a long process, particularly in the field of neuro-oncology where the very high heterogeneity of tumors and the need for drugs to cross the blood-brain barrier that protects the brain multiply the difficulties. Having robust predictive models is therefore a valuable asset in the selection of new drug candidates.” said Dr. Claire Lepinoux-Chambaud, Head of Research at GlioCure.

About Porsolt
Porsolt SAS, located in Le Genest-Saint-Isle, France, is an internationally recognized and long established global preclinical Contract Research Organization (CRO). Porsolt works with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutes, and not-for-profit organizations, offering specialized preclinical testing services across many disease areas, physiological systems and processes. Porsolt provides a range of services including in-vitro and in-vivo drug discovery, screening, as well as efficacy and pharmacological safety testing, using both standardized and innovative techniques in full compliance with GLP (ICH S7).
For additional information about the organization, please visit www.porsolt.com or email us at contact@porsolt.com.

About GlioCure
GlioCure is a drug development company specialized in neuro-oncology that aims to give hope to patients with brain tumors.
Since the end of 2016, GlioCure has acquired operational capabilities and gathered all the skills and know-how in translational research and pharmaceutical sciences to identify, select and develop new molecules of interest in neuro-oncology all the way to authorization of the first clinical trials. In particular, GlioCure has initiated the development of GC01, a best-in-class anti-tumor peptide, for which the company has exclusive worldwide rights, and benefits from more than 10 years of academic research, GC01 is currently in late non-regulatory preclinical development for the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM), the most common and aggressive brain tumor.
For more information, please visit: gliocure.com

About University Hospital of Angers
With more than 100,000 hospitalizations and nearly 500,000 consultations per year, the Hospital of Angers is one of the major French healthcare establishments. Its governance and its authorities are those of a large public institution with a long history of 8 centuries.