eureKARE co-founds EonBio to revolutionize drug discovery with pioneering cell-free technology on a chip
- eureKARE announces EonBio as the second company to be supported by its Belgium biomedical start-up studio
- EonBio is developing pioneering platform technology to innovate drug discovery, design and development
- EonBio has been co-founded by eureKARE, Yeda, the commercial arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science, and built on the innovative research of Professor Roy Bar-Ziv’s lab
Luxembourg, Belgium, and Paris, France – 22 February 2023: eureKARE, an innovative investment company for disruptive synthetic biology applications, announces the second company to be supported and housed in its biomedical start-up studio in Brussels, Belgium. EonBio is developing a cutting-edge platform to address high unmet medical needs by reconstructing intricate bioproduction systems akin to the ones found in living cells. By engineering living material on silicon chips, the complex synthesis of proteins, metabolites, and other useful biomaterials can be streamlined and scaled. Referred to as “cell-free technology on a chip”, this cutting-edge platform has multiple potential applications in drug discovery, design and development as well as in biomanufacturing.
EonBio was co-founded by eureKARE and Yeda, the commercial arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. The company has an exclusive license from Yeda for the "cell-free technology" platform developed by world-renowned synthetic biology leader, Prof Roy Bar-Ziv, and his team, including senior staff scientist Dr. Shirley Daube, and other colleagues. Prof Bar-Ziv was the winner of the eureKAWARDS 2021, a science-based pitch contest aimed at discovering and supporting pioneering synthetic biology projects. His lab’s project, integrating physics and biology, was praised by the jury for its scientific excellence and highly disruptive approach to many medical challenges. By being able to recreate some of the specific pieces of cellular machinery on silicon chips without the unwanted interferences usually found in real, living cells we can expect to drastically accelerate the pace of therapeutic innovation.
Drug discovery, the process of exploring potential new medicines, is at the heart of R&D efforts of pharma and biotech companies around the world. Although the global drug discovery market is expected to continue growing — with projections to reach $120.8 billion by 2030 at an annual growth rate of 9.16% —, finding and developing novel and effective drugs is still costly and time consuming. But what if it didn’t have to be? Experts have realized that new tools and methodologies have the potential to revolutionize drug discovery, design and development, enabling the industry to produce more effective medicines faster and more economically.
eureKARE’s Biomedical Start-up Studio
eureKARE’s biomedical start-up studio is focused on creating the next generation of cell and gene therapies using disruptive synthetic biology tools and approaches. The studio in Belgium is part of eureKARE’s synthetic biology studio network, a new model of start-up creation and development which nurtures high-quality European synthetic biology. It acts as a catalyst, enabling scientists to transform their discoveries into ground-breaking businesses. eureKARE aims to nurture young innovations into successful companies, empowering scientists with the right resources, access to funding, as well as both academic and scientific know-how.
Alexandre Mouradian, Chairman, Founder, and Chief Executive Officer of eureKARE, commented: “I am delighted to welcome EonBio and Prof Bar-Ziv to our biomedical start-up studio. Beyond investing in scientific projects and building new start-ups, eureKARE seeks to build synergies with leading institutions and researchers that share similar values, mission and vision to make an impact on tomorrow through synthetic biology.”
Dr. Georges Rawadi, Chief of Biotech Studio Development at eureKARE, commented: “I am thrilled to be working with the highly-talented Prof Bar-Ziv and the Weizmann Institute of Science − one of the world’s leading research institutions with a long and extremely successful history of technology transfer. I look forward to equipping EonBio with the necessary resources and business expertise to boost it from proof-of-concept to industry game-changer.”
Prof Bar-Ziv, Department of Chemical & Biological Physics at the Weizmann Institute of Science, commented: “After many years of dedicated research, we are honored to join forces with eureKARE in launching EonBio. Our mission is to apply insights from our lab to drive advancements in Pharma R&D. EonBio’s advanced synthetic cell-free platform has the potential to transform the way pharmaceutical companies approach drug discovery, vaccine development, and bioproduction, making it a valuable tool in the pursuit of more effective therapeutics.”
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About eureKARE
eureKARE is an investment company focused on financing and developing synthetic biology innovation across Europe. Driven by the belief that synthetic biology holds the key to many of the world’s most pressing health and environmental challenges, eureKARE’s experienced team is focused on harnessing Europe’s untapped leadership in the field to build the companies of the future. eureKARE is championing a new model of start-up creation and development to create a dynamic ecosystem of early and later stage ventures through its network of biotech studios. eureKARE’s studios act as a bridge between academia and industry, helping to catalyze innovations into companies with access to all the ingredients they need to grow, prosper, and bring benefits to society.
About Yeda
Yeda Research and Development Company Ltd. is the commercial arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science. Yeda currently manages approximately 500 unique patent families and has generated the highest income per researcher compared to any other academic technology transfer operation worldwide. Through the years, Yeda has contributed the commercialization of several groundbreaking therapies, such as Copaxone, Rebif, Tookad®, Erbitux®, Vectibix®, Protrazza®, Humira®, and recently the CAR-T cancer therapy Yescarta®.
About the Weizmann Institute of Science
The Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel is one of the world's top-ranking multidisciplinary research institutions. Noted for its wide-ranging exploration of the natural and exact sciences, Weizmann Institute's scientists are advancing research on the human brain, artificial intelligence, computer science and encryption, astrophysics, and particle physics, and are tackling diseases such as cancer, while also addressing climate change through environmental, ocean, and plant sciences.
Contacts
eureKARE SA
Michelle Wilson-André, Head of Communications
michelle.wilson@eurekare.eu
Consilium Strategic Communications – Media Relations
Amber Fennell, Sukaina Virji, Genevieve Wilson
eurekare@consilium-comms.com
