Why do we exist?

Our Vision:

We are an emerging start-up, aspiring to offer new perspectives for patients with pancreatic, liver and bile-duct cancers. Ultimately, aiming for patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives.

Our Mission:

Clearing tumors from blood vessels, so surgeons can operate.

What we do:. 

We develop VasoBLATE™ – an innovative perivascular ablation solution.

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Pancreatic cancers

Liver cancers

Bile-duct cancers

Unmet medical need

Each year in the US alone, we estimate that approximately 40,000 patients with pancreatic, liver, and bile-duct cancer are told they are inoperable because the tumor is growing around major blood vessels, making it unlikely for surgeons to operate successfully.

There is a need for a treatment that could clear blood vessels from tumor involvement.

Our Solution – VasoBLATE™

That is why we are developing VasoBLATE™, an innovative perivascular ablation solution aimed at creating clean margins around blood vessels, clearing the way for surgeons to operate and ultimately improving the patient’s chances for survival.

VasoBLATE is based on the administration of a laser-light activatable drug that accumulates in the tumor tissues. The drug is then activated by laser light to locally destroy the tumor tissues.

 

Minimally-invasive, image-guided therapy

Minimally-invasive, and under image-guidance, a near-infrared laser-light irradiating catheter is placed in the target vessel encased by tumor tissue. The near-infrared laser light then travels though the vascular wall, activates the drug, and locally destroys the tumor tissues, paving the way for surgeons to operate.

VasoBLATE™, comprises:

  • PeriPLAN™ – Treatment planning & verification software
  • PeriLASE™ – A near infra-red laser
  • PeriPORFIN™ – A light-activatable drug
  • PeriCATH™ – A near-infrared laser-light irradiating balloon catheter

 

TreatmentPlanning

PeriPLAN™

Treatment planning & verification software

Laser

PeriLASE™

Near-infrared laser

drug

PeriPORFIN™

Laser-activatable drug

BalloonCatheter

PeriCATH™

Laser-irradiating balloon catheter

Profiel2

VasoBLATE™
Perivascular ablation solution

Unique selling points

  • Unlike competing approaches, our perivascular ablation solution is potentially effective in a larger number of patients and becomes quickly visible on CT scans as soon as 48 hours after ablation. This allows for rapid surgery within a week.

Competition

  • One category attempts to enhance chemotherapy. Generally, this approach takes several months and cycles of chemotherapy, and it does not downstage all patients effectively. In contrast, our approach is competitive due to its faster response time (48 hours after treatment) and our aim to effectively downstage a higher proportion of patients.
  • Another category is locoregional ablation, such as irreversible electroporation. This method requires a highly skilled expert team to accurately place needles into the pancreas and is associated with complications. In comparison, we believe our technology platform is competitive as it is likely easier to perform, requires less skill, and potentially has lower complication rates.

Results

We have previously conducted successful simulation studies at UHN in Toronto, developed prototype devices and recently completed a dose-escalating proof-of-concept study on a large animal model at IHU in Strasbourg.

Pancreas

Target splenic vessels in the pancreas

Before- (top) and 48h after- (bottom) treatment CT scans, showing the target splenic vessel (blue cross hair) and increasing hypodense margin of circa 3-15mm (arrows) for increasing doses (S, M, L-size) in the porcine.

Pathology results showing a necrotic margin around the splenic vessels (~10 mm), without rupture of the vessel wall 2-7 days after treatment.

Our customers & markets

Our target customers are abdominal surgeons and interventional radiologists at top cancer centers with high volumes of hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) surgeries. Our geographic markets include the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, and South Korea.

We estimate the market sizes as follows: a global TAM of €2.3 billion, a US-CA SAM of €760 million, and a US-CA-JP-KR SOM of 10-80 million over years 1-3 after approval.

Team

The company is managed by a passionate team of three senior founders (CSO, CMO, CEO). Our team has several decades of combined medical, scientific, and business experience with the development of drug-device combination products such as these and have direct experience taking these through Phase I/II clinical studies.

Advisory Board

We consider ourselves very fortunate to be surrounded by a global advisory community comprising world-class scientists, physicians and business people that are guiding and advising along the way of this exciting journey.

Next steps

Our results are encouraging to such a degree that we are now initiating a multi-center Phase II clinical study involving 6-12 pancreatic cancer patients at Radboud UMC in Nijmegen, Amsterdam UMC, and UMC Groningen. First patient enrollment is planned for 2024, with trial completion expected the following year.

Investment need

We are currently seeking a seed investment to initiate the Phase I clinical study and begin treating the first patients.

This significant milestone will transform and mature our company from a pre-clinical to a clinic-stage start-up.

Our transformation to the clinic will substantially increase our company valuation and enhance our chances of attracting future investors for next funding rounds. In line with this goal, we have already started discussions with Angels, Family Offices, and Venture Capital firms.

For Angel investors we offer Convertible Notes and SAFEs at attractive Terms & Conditions.

 

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Disclaimer:

The VasoBLATE™ perivascular ablation solution described herein is under investigation by research groups in preclinical experiments. It is currently not regulatory approved in any jurisdictions.

Vascular Oncology

Biotechnologies B.V.