Yahoo Finance 
DIACCURATE acquires BIOKINESIS to create a sole-in-class biotech player in oncology and immunotherapy
BIOKINESIS absorption by DIACCURATE occurred early December 2020
Dr. Dominique BRIDON leads the new entity
DIACCURATE is now developing 3 programs in cancer and immunotherapy
DIACCURATE will be initiating a first clinical trial by early 2022
Paris, France, January 12, 2021
By acquiring BIOKINESIS, a French biotech that develops the very first anticancer compound targeting the Golgi apparatus, DIACCURATE comforts its “sole-in-class” therapeutic strategy in oncology and immunotherapy. The company is developing a new generation of drug candidates which relies on novel mechanisms of action and untapped cellular and subcellular compartments. Initial data already suggest that this highly innovative approach could help to improve resitance to cancer progression and extend the benefits of immunotherapy to more indications and patients.
“I am delighted to join DIACCURATE the past year and I am extremely impressed by the scientific rationale and the high level of expertise of the company. This acquisition offers us the opportunity to lead an exciting “sole-in-class” approach in a new entity with an international outlook and a very ambitious development strategy. Thus, DIACCURATE should rapidly extend its portfolio by in licensing a drug-candidate with high therapeutic potential in oncology” explained Dr. Dominique BRIDON, CEO of DIACCURATE.
“I am convinced the synergies resulting from this merger will ultimately help to take up the main current challenge of oncology and immunotherapy: broaden the efficacy of checkpoints inhibitors and therapeutics vaccines by restoring a functionnal immune system. That is why TRUFFLE CAPITAL, leading investor of the two companies has been driver in creating a new entity with a strong and differentiated value proposition.” stated Dr. Philippe POULETTY, Co-founder and Chairman of DIACCURATE, Co-founder and CEO of TRUFFLE CAPITAL.
“The BIOKINESIS acquisition will give the means to accelerate the development of the KIF20A inhibitor DIACC2010, the very first Golgi-targeted drug candidate. This perspective is exciting given the impressive preclinical data shown in Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Lymphoma. I am very happy to join the DIACCURATE team as VP Operations” said Cécile BOUGERET, former CEO & CSO of BIOKINESIS, now VP Operations at DIACCURATE.
Leadership team
Dr. Philippe POULETTY, Chairman
Co-founder and CEO of TRUFFLE CAPITAL, Philippe is a pioneer in biotechnology and medical devices. He founded SANGSTAT in 1988, a company specialized in organ transplant therapy, listed on the NASDAQ, then CONJUCHEM in 1993, a biotech company specialised in therapeutic peptides, listed on the TORONTO STOCK EXCHANGE. He founded/co-founded among others: CARMAT, DEINOVE, ABIVAX, PHARNEXT, VEXIM; TRUFFLE CAPITAL portfolio companies.
Philippe graduated as a Doctor of Medicine from the PARIS VI UNIVERSITY, holds Master’s degrees in Immunology and Virology from INSTITUT PASTEUR and completed his Post-Doctoral Research at STANFORD UNIVERSITY. He is the former Chairman and Honorary Chairman of the French biotech industry association FRANCE BIOTECH and former Vice-Chairman of the European Association for the biotechnology industry EUROPABIO.
Author of 29 patents, Philippe is the 1999 laureate of the American Liver Foundation, member of the STANFORD’s prestigious Invention Hall of Fame and Chevalier of the Legion of Honor.
Dr. Dominique BRIDON, Chief Executive Officer
Dominique brings more than 30 years of pre-clinical and clinical development experience with leadership positions across North America, most recently, as CTO for EPIVAX ONCOLOGY developing personalized cancer peptide vaccines in the bladder cancer setting. Concurrently to his role at EPIVAX, he acted as Head of Therapeutics for CONCARLO, a Brooklyn-based company developing pan CDK inhibitors for the treatment of breast cancer.
Previously, Dominique was CEO at BIODESY, a start-up financed by 5AM, ROCHE and PFIZER VENTURES specialized in the detection of protein conformational changes. Prior to that role, he led the development of novel transporter-mediated oncology and CNS drugs at OPTIVIA. He also held various leadership positions at IPSEN, CONJUCHEM, REDCELL and ABBOTT, served as a Director for ENOBIA (acquired by ALEXION) and NEURONAX and was a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of SYNTAXIN (acquired by IPSEN) and BIOSORTIA.
Dominique holds a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering and Polymer Sciences from ÉCOLE NATIONALE SUPÉRIEURE DE CHIMIE and a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the UNIVERSITY OF PARIS XI, with the Nobel Laureate Sir Derek H. R. BARTON as Research Advisor. He completed his Post-Doctoral Research at the UNIVERSITY OF BERKELEY.
José DA GLORIA, Chief Financial Officer
Before joining DIACCURATE, José was EVP Chief Financial Officer at VEXIM, a French publicly listed company (Euronext growth) that developed and marketed an innovative medical device to treat vertebral compression fractures (acquired by STRYKER in 2017). He also participated in the launch of CLOUDWATT, a French start-up of cloud computing, now part of ORANGE Business Services.
Previously José was Financial controller of a $250 million International division at EV3, a US Medtech specialized in vascular implants (acquired by COVIDIEN, now MEDTRONICS).
He participated in the business development in the emerging countries (Latin America and Asia) as well as the financial, logistic and fiscal integration of the EV3 entities inside COVIDIEN. Further to this integration, he joined COVIDIEN as the EMEA FP&A Director. José began his career in the IT industry as FP&A analyst and took various finance and leadership roles inside DELL INC.
José is a university graduate of UNIVERSITY PARIS-SACLAY with a Master’s degree in Economy and Finance.
Dr. Cécile BOUGERET, VP Operations
Prior to joining DIACCURATE, Cécile held several scientific management positions at DIATOS, CYTOMICS PHARMACEUTICALS and BIOKINESIS, 3 biotechnology companies specialized in oncology. She brings 20 years of experience in the field of oncology drug research and development.
Cécile holds a PhD in biology from the PARIS VII UNIVERSITY. She completed her Post-Doctoral Research at ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY in New York and at HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL in Boston.
Cécile is member of the AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH (AACR).
Dr. Jérôme TIOLLIER, VP Development
Jérôme has been working since 35 years in pharmaceutical R&D with experience in senior leadership positions in several biopharmaceutical companies.
Prior to joining DIACCURATE, Jérôme was EVP Chief Development Officer at INNATE PHARMA where he built the development team organization and managed multiple areas of drug development, including CMC toxicology, PK, non clinical POC, translational research and clinical & regulatory operations up to early clinical phases of the different “first-in-class” immunotherapy antibodies of the company portfolio.
Previously, he was Preclinical Director then European R&D Director at PASTEUR-MERIEUX Transplant business unit (acquired by SANGSTAT, now part of SANOFI GENZYME). Jérôme is also co-founder and Chairman of OUR FUTURE UNIVERSE (OFU), the first meta media specialized in biomedical research and innovation. Jérôme is graduated from CLAUDE BERNARD UNIVERSITY-LYON as PhD.
Scientific founder
Prof. Jacques THÈZE
Jacques is an international leading authority in the fields of CD4 biology and HIV infection. Author of more than 250 scientific and medical publications, he has discovered the blood molecular driver of CD4 immunodeficiency and co-founded DIACCURATE.
Former Professor and Head of the Human Immunology Department at the PASTEUR INSTITUTE in Paris and Hospital Practition er at APHM, Jacques was President of the INSERM immunology commission and General Director of the Pasteur Institute in Lyon. He was also scientific adviser for the WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (new vaccine program) and SANOFI (cytokines and immunotherapy program).
Graduated from the FACULTY OF MEDICINE in Bordeaux, Jacques was trained as immunologist and virologist at the PASTEUR INSTITUTE. He holds a PhD in the molecular biology department of François JACOB and Jacques MONOD, NOBEL PRIZE in Medicine 1965 and completed his Post-Doctoral Research at the HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL in the Research Department of Baruj BENACERRAF, NOBEL PRIZE in Medicine 1981. Jacques is corresponding member of the FRENCH NATIONAL ACADEMY OF MEDICINE.
About DIACCURATE
Spin-off from the Pasteur Institute in Paris, DIACCURATE is a late preclinical stage biotechnology company which develops “sole-in-class” therapeutics in oncology and immunotherapy. DIACCURATE is conducting 3 proprietary development programs of highy innovative drug-candidates: the KIF20A inhibitor DIACC2010 disrupts intracellular trafficking to reduce growth of cancer cells while the anti-PLA2G1B antibody DIACC1010 restores CD4 T cells altered functions in cancer and HIV. In the course of 2022, the company will enter its first clinical trial.
Led by Dr. Dominique BRIDON, DIACCURATE was co-founded by Prof. Jacques THÈZE, an international leading authority in the field of CD4 biology and Dr Philippe POULETTY, biotech and medtech pionner, co-founder and CEO of TRUFFLE CAPITAL.
For more information, visit www.diaccurate.com and follow @DiaccurateTx
About TRUFFLE CAPITAL
Created in 2001, TRUFFLE CAPITAL is an independent European Venture Capital company, specialising in life sciences (MedTech and Biotech) and in breakthrough IT technologies (FinTech and InsurTech). The mission of TRUFFLE CAPITAL is to help the creation and development of young innovating companies, capable of becoming tomorrow’s leaders.
Chaired by Patrick KRON and led by Dr. Philippe POULETTY et Bernard-Louis ROQUES, co-founders and CEOs, TRUFFLE CAPITAL has raised over €1.1 billion since its inception and helped over 70 companies in the digital technology and life sciences sectors. In 2019, TRUFFLE CAPITAL announced having raised almost €400 million in new institutional funds, including €250 million for new BioMedTech investments.
For more information, visit www.truffle.com and follow @trufflecapital
Contacts
DIACCURATE | TRUFFLE CAPITAL |
Attachment
