The focus is on the introduction of carbacitabine, a promising new drug. Due to its fewer side effects and greater efficacy, the active ingredient is intended to replace conventional treatments and alternative approaches in the treatment of blood cancer.
What is special about your solution?
A certain group of drugs, known as HMAs (which includes our active ingredient carbacitabine), is already used to treat certain types of blood cancer such as AML and MDS. However, the problem with existing HMAs is that they are often unstable, which reduces their efficacy and increases their toxicity - which is particularly difficult to tolerate for elderly or debilitated patients. We have chemically improved these HMAs so that they are more stable, have fewer harmful side effects (up to 100 times less toxic) and are also more effective against cancer. We have been able to demonstrate these improvements in cell cultures and preclinical models. Our compound therefore offers a promising treatment option, especially for patients who are dependent on less stressful therapies, which is the case for many cancer patients.
What are the current challenges and next steps for your start-up?
One of the biggest challenges for us is the cost-intensive development of active ingredients, especially in preclinical and clinical studies, which we are currently financing through grants. In addition, we still lack specific experience in pharmaceutical development, which is why we want to expand our network in the industry in order to gain the necessary expert knowledge. Our next big step is to secure funding to finalise the preclinical studies. After that, we want to officially incorporate and look for venture capital, corporate venture or a strong pharmaceutical partner to conduct the clinical trials and bring our drug carbacitabine to the market.
What do you take away from the Munich Business Plan Competition?
The competition forces you to put your ideas and plans down on paper in a structured way and offers the opportunity to receive professional feedback from experienced judges. This feedback is invaluable as it has helped us to improve our business plan in many areas. Another great advantage is the BayStartUP network, which we were able to access by participating in the competitions. At various events, we were able to make valuable contacts with stakeholders and experts in pharmaceutical development, which are important for the long-term development of EpiCure. The prize money is of course a nice motivation, but the content and networking opportunities are even more valuable.
Take part in phase 1 of the Bavarian business plan competitions until 21 January
Founders from all over Bavaria can take part in the first phase of the business plan competitions until 21 January 2025. The focus is on the business idea and customer benefit.