- The new spin-off located in the Science Park of the University of Valencia will develop biotechnological solutions for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of resistant pathogenic bacteria, with a phage-based methodology and from the One Health global approach
- The company promoted by Pilar Domingo-Calap, researcher at the Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), is one of the winners of the VIII edition of VLC/STARTUP
Multidrug-resistant bacteria pose a serious threat to human, animal and plant health. Restrictions on the use of antibiotics for agriculture and livestock, as well as the growing resistance of many bacteria to this type of drugs, demand the development of new strategies for the control of bacterial diseases. Bacteriophages or phages, viruses that exclusively attack bacteria, are an advantageous alternative to antibiotics, both because of their high specificity and their environmental friendliness.
EVOLVING THERAPEUTICS was born as a spin-off of the University of Valencia, located in the Science Park of the academic institution, in order to transfer to the market a customized system for isolation of environmental bacteriophages aimed at tackling this problem of antimicrobial resistance. "Phages are a very promising and personalized solution. They attack the target bacterium without altering the other beneficial bacteria harbored in the microbiota, as they are highly specific and ecologically safe. In addition, they co-evolve with the bacteria and adapt, without producing side effects," says Pilar Domingo-Calap, Ramón y Cajal researcher at the University of Valencia's Institute of Integrative Systems Biology I2SysBio and main promoter of the new spin-off.
This is the first commercial offer in Spain of personalized phage-based One Health therapy services.
Representatives of UV and EVOLVING THERAPEUTICS during the signing of the agreement. Photo: UV.
Developed by the Environmental and Biomedical Virology group of I2SysBio, an expert team in phage therapy in the fields of human health, veterinary medicine and phytopathogens, this UV-owned system has been transferred to EVOLVING THERAPEUTICS for commercialization, following the signing of a methodology transfer agreement between the two parties.
This is the first commercial offer in Spain of personalized phage-based One Health therapy services. Thanks to its extensive experience in the study of phages, the founding team of the spin-off will contribute by offering scientific advisory services and personalized solutions for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of pathogenic bacteria, including human, animal and plant health.
"Phages are a very promising and personalized solution. They attack the target bacteria without altering the rest of the beneficial bacteria harbored in the microbiota, as they are very specific and ecologically safe. Moreover, they co-evolve with the bacteria and adapt, without producing side effects", Pilar Domingo-Calap, promoter of the company.
EVOLVING THERAPEUTICS is also born from the hand of the Respiralia Foundation, a non-profit organization aimed at improving the quality of life and life expectancy of people with cystic fibrosis. The University of Valencia participates in the capital of the new biotech company, the third spin-off generated from I2SysBio and the nineteenth in the catalog of active spin-offs of the academic institution.
Winner of the VIII VLC/STARTUP Awards
In the recent edition of the VIII VLC/STARTUP Awards, an initiative of the Fundació Parc Científic Universitat de València (FPCUV) for the support program for innovative companies, framed in a collaboration agreement signed between the Universitat de València and Banco Santander with the aim of promoting and supporting the creation and consolidation of companies in the university environment of innovation, Evolving Therapeutics was awarded in the Laboratory modality, a category that includes a financial endowment of 3. 3,000 euros and the assignment of a laboratory space in the Science Park free of charge for one year.