THERAtRAME SA, a new spin-off of the University of Liège and WEL Research Institute

Founded as a spin-off from the University of Liège and WEL Research Institute, Theratrame raised €4.5M in seed funding. The company builds on over a decade of academic research in RNA biology. THERAtRAME SA, a new spin-off of the University of Liège and WELBIO | THERAtRAME

Liège, Belgium, 05 September 2022 – THERAtRAME SA has closed its first financing round of €4.5M to support the discovery and development of novel tRNA epitranscriptomics based cancer drugs through its AI-driven drug discovery platform. This financial round includes €2.5M of equity from the interuniversity fund QBIC3, the public institutional funds NOSHAQ and S.R.I.W., the University of Liège through its technology transfer and investment company, Gesval SA, alongside a group of angel investors. A subsidy of €2.0M from the Walloon Region completes this financing round.

A unique and new approach to expand the cancer target space

THERAtRAME, incubated at the Belgian start-up accelerator VentureLab since 2020, was founded based on new insights in tRNA epitranscriptomics resulting from over a decade of fundamental research in the laboratories of Professors Dr. Alain Chariot, Dr. Francesca Rapino and Dr. Pierre Close at the GIGA Institute (ULiège) and WELBIO. Their work has revealed that cancer cells seize control of the protein synthesis process by making specific modifications in the tRNA, an essential component of the protein translation machinery, to support the cells’ rapid growth, metastasis and resistance against existing drugs. This new discovery exposes previously underexplored vulnerabilities in cancer that are now being targeted by THERAtRAME’s drug discovery platform to develop first-in-class small molecule therapeutics to address the high unmet medical needs in cancer treatment. In addition, THERAtRAME leverages its proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to discover new unpredicted key players in cancer development and to identify the most promising oncology indications for clinical studies.

The founders, Dr. Pierre Close and Dr. Francesca Rapino, are both WELBIO Principal Investigators at the GIGA Biomedical Research Institute (ULiège), Foundation against Cancer laureates and, respectively, FNRS Senior research associate and FNRS Research associate. Pierre Close is the principal investigator of the Laboratory of Cancer Signaling. The work of his laboratory focuses on elucidating the mechanisms underlying cancer development through changes in proteome expression and mRNA translation via tRNA regulation. Francesca Rapino, as head of the Laboratory of Cancer Stemness, investigates the role of tRNA in cancer stem cells and cellular differentiation and is awardee of the competitive European Research Council (ERC) starting grant. Pierre Close and Francesca Rapino will join THERAtRAME as Chief Scientific Officer and Chief Operating Officer, respectively.

THERAtRAME also announces the appointment of Dr. Marc Zabeau as its independent Chairman of the board of directors and Mr. Ching Man Choi as Chief Executive Officer. Marc Zabeau is a seasoned biotech investor and entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience in biotech venture creations. He has founded several biotech companies including Helix, KeyGene, GenScope and Methexis. Ching Man Choi brings 15 years of experience in biotech financing, corporate development and biomedical research. Prior to joining THERAtRAME, Mr. Choi held Investor Relations and Business Development positions at the Euronext listed cell therapy specialist, Bone Therapeutics.

“It is truly exciting to translate our fundamental discoveries in the field of tRNA epitranscriptomics into clinical applications that we hope will provide new therapeutic possibilities for cancer patients.” – Pierre Close and Francesca Rapino, co-founders of THERAtRAME

“We are delighted to see THERAtRAME and the founders’ cancer research laboratories pursue their ambition to bring novel therapeutic solutions in the field of cancer, thereby bridging fundamental strategic research to innovation” – Vinciane Gaussin, Managing Director WELBIO A.S.B.L.

“The creation of THERAtRAME is based on innovative research carried out at the GIGA Institute of ULiège which uncovers the until recently little known yet fundamental role of the epitranscriptome of tRNA during the steps of gene expression by mRNA. This offers a window of opportunity to better understand how cancers develop, and therefore to identify chemical processes that are targets for innovative cancer treatments." – Pr. Fabrice Bureau, immunologist, Vice-rector for Research at ULiège

“Despite significant advances in the field, cancer continues to be one of the most devastating diseases we have yet to tackle. THERAtRAME aims to contribute to this mission, and combines highly-innovative science from the renowned GIGA institute with a complementary and experienced team. Qbic III is excited to help launch this remarkable spin-off from our partner ULiège, which underscores our fund's goal to support the transformation of scientific breakthroughs from our partner institutes into sustainable companies. We are looking forward to continuing to play an important role in providing THERAtRAME with the support they need to achieve their ambitious goals.” – Sara Vandenwijngaert, Investment Manager at QBIC3

“THERAtRAME is an excellent example of the impact that NOSHAQ can create by fostering local talent and leadership, to address major unmet needs in healthcare. NOSHAQ is proud to support THERAtRAME in leveraging its core strengths and advance the development of innovative RNA-based therapies.” – Eric Brandt, Investment Manager at Noshaq “We are thrilled to join this exciting adventure and support a pioneering company like THERATRAME with its revolutionary approach tackling cancer. Oncology is an area in desperate need of innovation and it is great to see THERATRAME joining other innovative players in the Walloon Region. At SRIW Life Sciences, we are committed to helping our local heroes achieve their fascinating yet challenging journey” – Christina Franssen, Investment Manager at SRIW Life Sciences