Biovica will participate in a EUROSTAR research project called SUBLYME, that will develop a new targeted drug for blood cancer. For Biovica the project expand the application of DiviTum® to one of the most common forms of blood cancer where the incidence has doubled in the past decades.
The drug, a SUMO-ylation inhibitor (SUMOi) developed by the Dutch company UbiQ. Biovica’s DiviTum® technology will be used in pre-clinical models to provide an early signal of cell growth inhibition during development and Biovica’s work will be co-funded by Vinnova with EUR 210 000. Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma is one of the most common types of blood cancers and there is an unmet need for novel drugs and diagnostics to combat drug resistant forms of the disease.
The SUBLYME project scored very high in the ranking system that takes into account the level of innovation, market need and potential. The project scored as no 31 of 376 EUROSTAR applications at the European level and scored as no. 6 in Sweden.
“To have Biovica in the SUBLYME project as partner is highly valuable since a non-invasive biomarker like DiviTum can be a significant advantage in the development and marketing of our SUMOi. We believe that DiviTum is a very important tool in the preclinical setting, getting the drug ready for clinical studies and bringing a competitive edge”, says Alfred Nijkerk, CEO of UbiQ.
“The SUBLYME project received high ranking and is a promising project that have the potential to bring an important drug complemented with a biomarker for cancer patients closer to approval. The inclusion of the DiviTum technology in the project is a good example of how Swedish biotech companies can bring great value to this type of research projects.”, says Dr Peter Lindberg, Program Lead EUREKA/EUROSTAR at Vinnova.