EXO Biologics, a Belgian company pioneering innovative therapies based on exosomes, is raising €16 million to maintain its leadership. This Series A funding will support its ongoing and future clinical trials, continue its manufacturing expansion, including upgrading its unique production platform, ExoPulse, and expand partnerships to enable pan-market access to the platform and GMP clinical grade exosomes for faster access to clinical trials.
"Having now launched the first clinical trial approved by the EMA to use MSC-based exosomes, EXO Biologics is now able to support the clinical development of these highly promising therapies globally. This significant funding will therefore enable EXO Biologics to accelerate development and commercial agreements with third parties worldwide”, says Hugues Wallemacq, CEO of EXO Biologics.
A wide range of therapeutic molecules
The Liège-based biotech's current products are based on MSC-derived from umbilical cords. Yet, other cell types can be used since exosomes can also be loaded with other types of molecules - such as RNAs, proteins, and chemical drug compounds - that have their own therapeutic properties and then can be used as vehicles to deliver therapies. This is the next stage in the use of the ExoPulse platform.
Other indications are already being considered. “For MSC cells alone, we initially thought there were around a hundred possible clinical indications. We now estimate that there are probably 200 that could serve as targets. In particular, we're looking at something in tissue regeneration”, points out the CEO.
Accelerating and de-risking naive and loaded exosome drug development journeys for other companies
This fundraising is also meant to strengthen, ExoXpert in order to accelerate partnerships and develop exosome-based therapies, whether through their own products or for third parties. This wholly-owned subsidiary manufactures the exosomes used in clinical trials. Here too, EXO Biologics is breaking new ground, as it is the first CDMO-type unit in Europe - a pharmaceutical company that manufactures for others - dedicated to exosomes.
“The biggest current challenge in the field of therapeutic exosomes is large-scale, cost-effective production, while maintaining quality and complying with regulatory requirements”, adds the CEO. “This opens up a whole new area of medicine. We're still in a much lower price bracket than cell therapy. That's the whole point of this technology, especially as there is not only the production cost, but also the logistics cost, which is also much lower because exosomes are inert”.
