Biohope

Brief description

Biohope Scientific Solutions for Human Health SL, (also known as Biohope), is a biotechnological company from Spain, based in Tres Cantos (Madrid). Biohope is an early commercial stage R&D company dedicated to the development of precision medicine tools for chronic inflammatory conditions and autoimmune diseases, to tailor immunosuppressant drugs / corticoid treatment. Precision medicine tries to maximize outcomes in chronic diseases, considering human diversity responses which implies that different patients need different drugs.

Founded in 2015, it employs 22 professionals that research and develop their products, manufacture and process tests, and support all the required regulatory, legal, financial and business functions.

Technology

The number of people around the world who are suffering from autoimmune diseases is large and increasing. There are more than 80 different types of autoimmune diseases and treatments that reduce the immune response are much needed.

Immunosuppressive drugs are used by medical professionals in autoimmune processes and in transplant patients. They are not free of risks given the toxicities associated with their use and the interactions they can have with other drugs, which makes their management difficult and can compromise the prognosis of patients. That is the reason why it is very important to monitor each patient in a personalized way (Personalized Medicine). Nowadays, finding the right drug and the right dose for each patient is still complex, and is achieved empirically, often resulting in problems of over- or under-medication.

Based on a pharmacodynamic model, Biohope has developed a technological platform (immunoassay, software and database), called Immunobiogram® that determines the response of each person’s immune cells when exposed to pharmacological agents. Immunobiogram®, a precision medicine innovation, is a unique and patented IVD which provides evaluation of the patients’ sensitivity profile to a panel of the most commonly prescribed immunosuppressants (IMS) allowing the physicians to predict and monitor the patients’ response to the IMS. The IMMUNOBIOGRAM® was funded from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program.

Product in Kidney Transplant

Regarding organ transplantation, it is necessary to prescribe drugs that reduce the response of the immune system to avoid rejection of the transplanted organ, by guaranteeing the success of the graft and its survival, and to reduce toxicity, using the adequate immunosuppressants at the right quantity.

However, nowadays kidney failure causes one of every 55 to 75 deaths of Americans or Europeans, close to 50% of all renal transplants fail within 10 years mostly due to rejection (which is closely related with the immunosuppressive treatment), and 33% of the mortality in renal transplant patients is due to infections and malignancies.

Immunobiogram®-Renal Transplant, the first product from the technological platform, is a blood-based in vitro diagnostic tool that enables physicians to provide personalized immunosuppressant therapy by helping in the selection of optimal combination of drugs. It will be ready for commercialization in several markets during 2022-2024.

Achievements

• Biohope was recognized as Business and Technology-Based Idea by Foundation for Knowledge Madrid+d in 2016.
• Biohope won an accesit award in the VII edition of the woman entrepreneur award of the City Council of Madrid, sponsored by the magazine Yo dona, the Spanish Association of Women Entrepreneurs (ASEME), Womenalia Archived 2021-01-28 at the Wayback Machine and the University Villanueva in 2017.
• Dr. Isabel Portero, Biohope´s CEO, was included in the list of  “100 Most Creative People in Business” published by Forbes in 2018.
• Biohope was a finalist in the IV edition of the “RTVE Emprende Awards” from RTVE (Spanish Radio and Television Corporation) in 2018.
• Labiotech.eu selected Biohope as the “Biotech of the Week” in 2018.
• The IMBG® finished in Kidney Transplantation the TRANSBIO Project (Cellular BIOtechnology for prognosis and monitoring in renal TRANSplantation), supported by the European Union Horizon 2020 Programme for Research and Innovation as a SME instrument Phase 2 under grant agreement Nº 733248 , where 9 major hospitals  in the EU and USA participated.
• European patent published (2019) and PCT ongoing in major markets.
• Biohope was recognized by STARTUP CITY Magazine as one of the 15 most promising biotechs in Europe.  (2019)
• Biohope’s quality system got the ISO 13485 certification by the international company BSI (Q4 - 2019)
• Biohope has presented abstracts at the major International, European and American Congresses’. (2018-2020)
• Biohope was recognized as one of the top 10 in vitro diagnostic solution providers in Europe (2020)
• Biohope published its first scientific paper on Frontiers in Immunology
• Biohope was finalist and received an honorable mention at the Lyfebulb-CSL Behring Innovation Challenge: Thriving with Transplantation. The goal of the was to source innovative solutions to improve outcomes and experiences for all those affected by transplantation. (2021)
• First commercial contract signed (2021)

References

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