Integra Therapeutics, a biotechnology company derived from Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), has obtained up to 10.5 million euros from the European Commission for the development of its FICAT (Functional Integration of Customized Advanced Therapeutics) platform, a project cutting edge in the field of advanced therapies. The company is a pioneer in the development of advanced gene editing tools, aimed at making advanced therapies safer and more effective
The FICAT platform represents a significant advance in the field of advanced therapies, and funding from the European Commission reinforces its potential to revolutionize gene medicine. This financial support from the EIC Accelerator represents a major boost for Integra Therapeutics and its FiCAT platform, enabling the development of the first therapeutic product in preclinical and clinical regulatory phases for a pediatric disease with a high unmet medical need.
Integra Therapeutics participates in the Industrial Doctorates Plan with a project awarded in 2021 in collaboration with Pompeu Fabra University (UPF). The project, called UNILARGE , investigates new gene editing therapies and benefits from the thesis direction of Dr. Marc Güell, recently recognized as an ICREA research professor.
Marc Güell, thesis director of three industrial doctorate projects with the UPF, is a renowned researcher in the field of genetic engineering and biotechnology. He is currently an ICREA research professor at Pompeu Fabra University, where his laboratory focuses on the application of new gene editing technologies for therapeutic purposes . His two main lines of research include mammalian genome engineering and skin microbiome engineering. Güell has been awarded several national and international prizes, including the National Young Talent Research Award (2018), and was recognized as a 'Highly Cited Researcher' in 2019. In addition, he is a young researcher of the EMBO since 2020 and has received the August Pi i Sunyer Award (2021) and the Ángela Ruiz Robles National Research Award (2022). Before joining the UPF, Güell was a Wyss Technology Development Fellow at the Wyss Institute, where he developed gene-editing technologies to create biocontainable and safe microorganisms, as well as modified pigs for xenotransplantation. He is the founder of several biotech companies , such as eGenesis, dedicated to providing an unlimited source of organs for transplants, and Sbiomedic, which develops new therapeutic solutions using the skin microbiome.
The collaboration between Integra Therapeutics and the Industrial Doctorates Plan highlights, once again, the importance of fostering synergies between the academic and business worlds . In the same way, projects like this highlight UPF's commitment to technological development and knowledge transfer. This alliance not only promotes innovation and technological development, but also ensures that scientific advances effectively reach the market and benefit patients , in this particular case.
With the financial support of the European Commission, Integra Therapeutics is well positioned to advance the in vivo validation of its platform in three different genetic indications, start the regulatory approval process and capture the interest of the pharmaceutical and biotech industry . This funding is a key step in achieving Integra Therapeutics' goal of developing safe and effective gene therapies, reaffirming its commitment to innovation in the field of biotechnology.
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