Debiopharm Innovation Fund strategically invests in Whitelab Genomics’ mission to make genomic medicine development faster and leaner for more efficient access to cancer patients in the future
LAUSANNE, Switzerland, Sept. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Debiopharm Innovation Fund, the strategic investment arm of Swiss biopharmaceutical company Debiopharm (www.Debiopharm.com), announced today their investment in Whitelab Genomics alongside French Venture Capital company, Omnes Capital, in a $10 Million Series A Round to advance their mission to accelerate the development of genomics medicines via technology powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Whitelab Genomics’ computational platform reduces biotherapies’ development time and cost, enabling faster access to the market and cheaper therapeutic solutions available for patients in need. Debiopharm’s investment in Whitelabs Genomics contributes to the growth plan of the start-up’ R&D team and US operations. Such an investment aligns with Debiopharm’s focus on investing in digital health solutions that improve the cancer patient journey, transform pharmaceutical R&D, and shift healthcare towards a more patient-centric approach.
Founded in 2019 by David Del Bourgo, MBA, and Julien Cottineau, Ph.D., alongside a team of world-class data scientists specialized in AI, computational biologists, molecular biologists, and genomic medicine scientists, the start-up offers in-silico simulations customized for target discovery, vector, and payload design, genotoxicity assessment and identification of experimental protocols of in vitro and in vivo strategies.
“We’re moving into a time where AI-based technology will play a critical role in drug development. With better ways to develop drugs, de-risk assets, de-risk any toxicity, and ensure efficacy, we’re able to bring more personalized drugs to patients – that’s precisely what Whitelab Genomics is proven to do,” stated Tanja Dowe, CEO of the Debiopharm Innovation Fund.
“The value of using this AI-based platform is the potential acceleration of pre-clinical, translational stage, helping drug research companies quickly design payloads and vectors and identify the best experimental protocols for in vitro and in vivo tests,” said Hamzeh Abdul-Hadi, Investment Director of the Debiopharm Innovation Fund.
“We are very excited to close this first institutional investment round with such renowned investors with deep knowledge of the pharma environment. With this funding, we can continue developing our proprietary data sets and algorithms for both payload and vectors, and develop our collaborations with our customers,” expressed David Del Bourgo, CEO and co-founder of Whitelab Genomics.
About Whitelab Genomics
WhiteLab Genomics, based in Paris and Cambridge (MA) was founded in 2019 by David Del Bourgo and Julien Cottineau, experts in genomics drug development and commercialization. WhiteLab Genomics aims to revolutionize genomic therapies development using public and private data and in-house AI algorithms. Whitelab Genomics supports its clients through the in-silico development phases enabling them to quickly develop target vectors and payloads and save precious time needed to give patients access to new genomic therapies. In only 2 years, Whitelab Genomics has convinced leading European and US Biotech and pharma to use its solutions for their new drug development programs, including RNA, DNA & Cell therapies. WhiteLab Genomics is also collaborating with world-renowned INSERM and Genethon laboratories and has been selected by Y-Combinator in its Winter 2022 batch. The company has won multiple awards, including the Galien Foundation nominee for startups, the Alumni New Venture Fund from the Polsky Innovation Center at the University of Chicago, and the Future 40 from Station F.
For more information, please visit www.whitelabgx.com
About Debiopharm Innovation Fund
Debiopharm Innovation Fund, the strategic investment arm of Swiss biopharmaceutical company Debiopharm, provides strategic funding and guidance for companies with an ambition to improve the patient journey, re-imagine how clinical trials are conducted, along with companies offering digital platforms that support cutting-edge drug technologies. Since 2017 Debiopharm has invested in 14 digital health companies, typically leading the investment rounds.
For more information, please visit www.debiopharm.com/digital-health/
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Dawn Bonine
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SOURCE Debiopharm International SA
