Aptadel, the new IDIBELL’s spinoff

Aptadel Therapeutics is a preclinical company co-founded by IDIBELL focused on developing a new platform for targeted therapy against cancer. This platform consists of nanoparticles loaded with therapeutic agents, such as RNA molecules or chemotherapeutic drugs, targeted to different tumors. This strategy permits the release of the therapeutics agents only where is needed, thus avoid side effects and improve therapy effectiveness.

Dr. Óscar Martínez-Tirado, researcher at IDIBELL and co-founder of the spin-off, points out that “this is a great opportunity to transfer academic knowledge to clinical practice“. Dr. Martinez-Tirado has years of experience in Ewing’s Sarcoma research and, with this new technology, he intends to administer interference RNA into tumor cells that express EWS/FLI1, the oncogene responsible for the development of these tumors.

Aptadel is launched with initial financing of 1.7 million euros resulting from an investment round initiated by IDIBELL. The Alba Pérez Foundation co-founders have provided a strong set of private investors that will allow Aptadel to develop this new technology to treat different types of cancer but focusing on Ewing’s Sarcoma.

The Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) is a biomedical research center created in 2004. It is participated by the Bellvitge University Hospital and the Viladecans Hospital of the Catalan Institute of Health, the Catalan Institute of Oncology, the University of Barcelona and the City Council of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat.

IDIBELL is a member of the Campus of International Excellence of the University of Barcelona HUBc and is part of the CERCA institution of the Generalitat de Catalunya. In 2009 it became one of the first five Spanish research centers accredited as a health research institute by the Carlos III Health Institute. In addition, it is part of the “HR Excellence in Research” program of the European Union and is a member of EATRIS and REGIC. Since 2018, IDIBELL has been an Accredited Center of the AECC Scientific Foundation (FCAECC).

Imagen: Left to right, Maria del Pilar Gonzálvez Pascual and, Rafael Pérez (Fundación Alba Pérez) and Dr. Gabriel Capellà and Dr. Oscar Martínez Tirado (Aptade Therapeutics). (credit: Fundació Alba Pérez)