PK MED, a French biotech company, has secured a non-dilutive deeptech financing of €1.5m from Bpifrance.
a1The funding will accelerate the company’s project PKM-02, a cell-homing technology aiming to enhance bone marrow transplantation in several diseases with high unmet medical need, such as leukemias and hemoglobinopathies.
Allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), also known as bone marrow transplantation, involves transferring hematopoietic stem cells from a healthy donor to a patient with depleted or dysfunctional bone marrow. In a broad range of hematologic disorders, this therapy can be curative and/or prolong a patient’s life.
Each year, more than 25,000 allogenic HSCTs are performed in the US and EU, and the treatment’s success depends on sufficient hematopoietic stem cell seeding, engraftment, and expansion within the bone marrow of the patient. However, the fraction of transplanted cells able to make their way to the bone marrow, known as homing, is reported to be low (1-10%). In addition, many patients are not eligible for the procedure, due to limited donor matching and an aggressive conditioning regimen needed to obtain a successful engraftment of the donor cells. Thus, there is an urgent unmet medical need to enhance the homing and engraftment of the transplanted cells.
PK MED’s approach for the PKM-02 project is based on the development of a therapeutic implant locally injected into the patient’s bone marrow prior to allogeneic HSCT. This drug-based unique technology, combined with a biodegradable scaffold, is aimed at increasing the homing of the transplanted cells, as well as their subsequent engraftment. PKM-02 has shown several promising in vitro results, and PK MED is currently initiating preclinical studies. PK MED is considering extending the technology to other applications in tissue regeneration.
Gauthier Pouliquen, CEO of PK MED, said: “The development of our local cell-homing implant and the support of Bpifrance are a proof of PK MED’s technological excellence and its commitment to medicine. Our ambition is to significantly advance bone marrow transplantation and cell regeneration techniques, for the benefit of all patients with hematologic disorders.”
Jim Cornall is editor of Deeptech Digest and publisher at Ayr Coastal Media. He is an award-winning writer, editor, photographer, broadcaster, designer and author. Contact Jim here.
