Oct 12, 2021

12.10.2021 07:30, Isabelle Mitchell ABOLOGIX develops therapeutic options for cancers with poor prognoses or cancers that have become resistant to standard therapy. The startup initially focuses on helping lymphoma patients. The Abologix team has discovered that most patients who eventually become resistant to conventional cancer treatments express a cell surface protein called JAM-C (Junction Adhesion Molecule C). Blocking JAM-C, therefore, has the potential to help patients who do not see improvements through conventional therapies. Abologix’s therapeutic option includes a monoclonal antibody, code-named H225, that blocks JAM-C. Learn more about Ignacio’s expectations for the Venture Leader Biotech experience and find out in which unusual location he participated in a video call. Switzerland boasts one of the world’s most renowned and innovative biotech industries. To do justice to this powerful position, Swiss biotech startups now have their own Venture Leaders program: During their roadshow, the Venture Leaders Biotech will meet international investors and industry leaders and access industry-specific expertise and networks to grow their companies. For the next few weeks, we shine the spotlight on the  10 Venture Leaders Biotech 2021  and introduce you to the inaugural graduates of the program. To learn more about the startups, we asked each entrepreneur to complete a short profile and choose at least six questions from a questionnaire about their personal and professional life. Name: Ignacio Faus Your job title: President of Abologix Number of employees: 3 First touchpoint with Venturelab: In 2019, browsing the internet  “Abologix develops monoclonal antibodies to treat different difficult-to-cure cancers.”   How and where did you come up with the idea for your startup? I met professors Thomas Matthes and Beat Imhof in 2017. Both of them had been working for many years at the University of Geneva on the idea that blocking the function of two biological targets (JAM-C and Olmfl-3) could potentially lead to new drugs to treat specific cancer indications. The basic research was there, and I encouraged them to generate particular antibodies to block these two targets and test them in animal models. The results in mice were spectacular, and this led to the founding of Abologix. What do you expect from the Venture Leaders roadshow, and how will it help you achieve your vision? The United States represents the most important market for pharmaceutical products. We know that if we are going to be successful, we need to develop and commercialize our products in the US market. We are eager to find out more about the Boston biotech ecosystem and learn about the success stories there. Initial discussions with Boston-based scientists, venture capital firms, and pharma and biotech companies will help us take our company to its next level of maturity, with a two-fold goal. First, establishing a partnership with a US-based pharma company. Second, completing our ongoing fundraising efforts with US investors. Since I am relatively new to the swiss biotech ecosystem, I also hope to learn from the other companies in the group, and I offer all of them my experience if they find it useful. What is one thing not many people know about you? I am an avid mountain climber, having reached the top of many (but not all) Swiss 4000m peaks. What would be the title of your biography? He made the most of what life has to offer. What is the one talent you wish you had? Natural talent for languages. I do my best, but it has taken me a long time and lots of effort to master English and French properly. German is a tough one. (Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch.)   What is your favorite movie? My favorite movie is the Godfather trilogy. It captured in a fantastic way gangster life in the US and Italy at different time points in the 20th century. What is your favorite book? One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien años de soledad) by the Colombian Nobel prize winner Gabriel García Marquez. It tells a great story in a tiny South American town. This summer, I managed to read Don Quixote (in XVI century Spanish), almost 1000 pages. It is considered the most important book in Spanish literature. What is always in your fridge? It used to be white wine, but I quit alcohol two years ago. Now it is yogurt. What are you most proud of? At the professional level, having co-founded, grown, and then sold Palau Pharma, a biotech company in the autoimmune and inflammation space. At the personal level, having raised two wonderful kids who are now young adults. What advice would you give your teenage self? When you have problems (and we all have problems), think about what is going well in your life. Things are never black or white. How did you come up with the name of your startup? Abologix stands for logical antibodies. Our antibodies are very targeted to serve specific patient sub-populations in the cancer field, so abo for antibody, log for logical, and ix for Swiss (substituted the s for an x). The iPhone. You can really work, have video calls, etc., from any place you want. Where and when are you most productive? After I go running. I try to run four times a week, in the early morning. Many times it is still dark. Mornings after a good run are the best. What do you do when you are creatively stuck? Relax, let go, exercise and sleep, and try again the following day. How and where do you clear your mind? Through exercise, but I have to say that as long as my iPhone is on, it is impossible to relax. I have been doing video calls trekking the Monte Rosa massif! What is the most challenging aspect of being a founder? You have to do everything yourself; you are really trying to create something where there was nothing before   Being able to implement a clear vision. What is the most important lesson you have learned as a founder? You are going to hear the word “no” many times, especially when you contact investors for your company. Be flexible, modify your idea as you get feedback from different stakeholders, and keep trying. What is the best advice you have ever received and from whom? Biotech companies always have ups and downs; all biotech companies go through difficult times. Never give up. Last but not least, could you show us your workspace or team? This photo shows the three Abologix founders on January 25, 2018—the day we incorporated the company in Geneva. From left to right: Prof. Thomas Matthes (University of Geneva Hospitals), Ignacio Faus, Prof. Beat Imhof (University of Geneva) For more information and updates on Abologix and the  Venture Leaders Biotech , follow the Venture Leaders Biotech 2021 team with  #VLeadersBiotech  on social media or subscribe to our  newsletter . Venture Leaders Biotech 2021 is co-organized by Venturelab and Swissnex and supported by EPF Lausanne, ETH Zurich, VISCHER, and the Canton of Zurich. Abologix Sàrl: New antibodies for the treatment of cancer ABOLOGIX develops novel therapeutics in oncology. The company´s lead program is a monoclonal antibody (code-named H-225) for the treatment of several sub-types of non-Hodgkin´s lymphoma (NHL), specifi... Read more Additional Links