In which moment do you decide that creating a spin-off is the best way to transfer the knowledge of the research group?
Neurotec was created in 2006 as a result of the research developed by the Neurochemistry Group of the University of Barcelona, led by Nicole Mahy. The research carried out identified a new therapeutic target in the central nervous system which could be useful in order to develop new treatments for inflammatory neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimerʼs disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or multiple sclerosis. This discovery was patented thanks to the collaboration of the Patents Centre of the UB, but we realized that the proposed treatments were in a too early phase to awake the interest of any pharmaceutical company. First, it was necessary to increase the relevance of the project and its commercial value. At this moment, the inventors, Nicole Mahy, Manuel J. Rodríguez and me, decided to create Neurotec as a tool to develop the finding made at the University. The collaboration of the Office for Technology Transfer of the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation, at that moment headed by M. Carme Verdaguer, was essential in the process of creating the company and transferring technology from the university to the company.
Which are the advantages of Neurotec Pharma if we compare it with other companies of the sector?
Neurotec Pharmaʼs business model is based on re-profiling known drugs for the treatment of central nervous system diseases. This means that we identified a series of molecules that are already used in diseases not related to the central nervous system and we gave to it a new application. From the developmental point of view, this is really important because it saves time of research and money invested. It speeds up the process of developing clinical trials of efficacy and security in patients. An example is NT-KO-003, our therapeutic proposal for multiple sclerosis.
NT-KO-003 is a drug which has been used as a hyperglycemic agent. Neurotec discovered that this molecule, taken orally and in lower doses than the ones prescribed previously, was effective in an animal model of multiple sclerosis thanks to its anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. Thanks to these non-regulatory preclinical results and to the previous commercialization of the molecule, we were able to present immediately our therapeutic proposal to the Spanish Agency of Medicines in order to develop a phase IIA clinical trial in multiple sclerosis patients.
This study, NeuroAdvan, is being developed together with Advancell, another spin-off of the UB. It is a study carried out in 18 hospitals in Spain and Germany in 99 patients who suffer relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis who have been taking the drug for six months; now we are waiting for the results. Once we know them, our objective is to license the result to a pharmaceutical company to commercialize it. The ambitiousness of the project is proved by the fact that we are the second company in Spain (the first one was Advancell) which develops a clinical trial with a project born in a university context.
After this experience, which are the keys to consolidate an entrepreneurship initiative born in a university context?
There are several aspects which I consider essential. The first one is a good scientific project and a reasonable business plan. The second one is receiving good pieces of advice when creating the company and having a good protection of technology. It is also essential to find the appropriate partners, scientific and financial, in the first phases of the project to avoid strategic mistakes which lead to a loss of time and resources. Moreover, it is important to be aware that ideas or patents are an important part, but a limited one. It is necessary to know how to develop and put them into practice. And this is the most difficult part. Finally, any founder of the spin-off must lead the project and be sure of taking the step that goes from the lab white goat to the business jacket.
What does this award mean for the companyʼs development?
It is a great honour for Neurotec to receive this award by who we consider our institutional “mother”. The prize recognizes the hard work developed by the entire group and the results obtained throughout these years. We like to think that Neurotec can promote the business value of other interesting academic projects. Anyway, it is sure that this award encourages us to continue working enthusiastically on our projects. Personally, I like to think that this honour is the last objective reached in the first phase of our business development and the first one of the many others we hope to reach for the following years.
