Iproteos wins Expoquimia R&D&i Award in Biotechnology
The Catalan company was recognized in the biotechnology category
Biotechnology company Iproteos, located in the Barcelona Science Park (PCB) has been recognized with the Expoquimia R&D&i Award 2014 in Biotechnology for development of the drug IPR19, which is used to treat cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia.
“This award is an important recognition of the project and the research carried out by the Iproteos team. The fact that we have won such a competitive award makes us one of the most innovative biotechnology companies in Spain. The award will undoubtedly allow us to move towards the clinical phases with our schizophrenia drug,” said Teresa Tarragó, CEO of Iproteos.
Iproteos’s IPR019 is a latest generation cognitive enhancer that has been proven effective with highly positive results in animal models. The drug has improved learning and memory skills affected by schizophrenia, which doesn’t happen with current treatments. It is a third-generation drug based on peptides that inhibit proteases and can cross the blood-brain barrier, which is a system that protects the brain and which few drugs have been able to penetrate so far.
To develop this type of drugs, Iproteos combines its research experience in peptides and proteases with in-silico design techniques and the most cutting-edge technology in peptide synthesis, including IPRO technology, a combination of IT and biotech tools developed by the Iproteos research team for computer modeling of biological processes.
Crowdfunding
Regarding IPR019, Iproteos launched an equity crowdfunding campaign a few months ago to raise funds to complete the non-regulatory preclinical phase with this compound. The campaign finished last week –before the scheduled closing date of 31 October- after raising their goal of €100,000 from 41 investors with a variety of different profiles.
Iproteos, located in the Barcelona Science Park, is a spin-off of the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and the University of Barcelona (UB), with strategic participation from the Bosch i Gimpera Foundation (FBG). Their business project focuses on discovering third-generation drugs for diseases of the central nervous system.
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