Folate-Target Nanodevices To Activated Macrophages For Rheumatoid Arthritis
Since January 1st 2016 the EU funds a research project devoted to the field of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) under its Horizon 2020 programme (NMP PILOTS). FOLSMART explicitly aims for a treatment improvement in RA and focuses in particular on folate-functionalised nanodevices to target activated macrophages. The main objectives of FOLSMART are the translation of the laboratory-based medication into Phase I clinical trials and to establish the spin-off company SOLFARCOS, which shall be the future producer and distributer of the new product.
The FOLSMART project is the direct successor of the NANOFOL project, an EU funded research project running during the years 2009-2013 and - like FOLSMART - coordinated by Professor Artur Cavaco-Paulo in Portugal. Almost all FOLSMART partners have previously also contributed to NANOFOL. The therapeutic strategy which was developed during the project shall now receive its clinical validation during the upcoming years.
Schematic representation of the therapeutic strategy developed in the NANOFOL FP7 project to be clinically validated in FOLSMART
FOLSMART will run from January 2016 until December 2019 and is funded by the European Commission with almost 5 million euros. One main goal of the project is to bring the novel folate-based liposomes (FBL) as treatment option for RA to Phase I clinical trials. The currently used drug therapy for RA with methotrexate (MTX) has shown lower clinical scores compared to the nanodevices for folic acid-mediated targeting of activated macrophages in animal models. Therefore, FBL based therapy will be benchmarked against MTX (injectable solution) and the approach shall lead to a better clinical outcome, lower toxicity levels and less side effects for the patient. The clinical trial will be conducted by Blueclinical in Oporto, Portugal. Starting in 2019, it will involve testing of the new formulation in eight groups of healthy volunteers.
“Not only will the patients benefit from the improved clinical outcomes but also the Health systems’ efficiency will be improved by avoiding an early start of biologic therapy”, says Prof. Artur Cavaco-Paulo (Departament of Biological Engineering, University of Minho/TecMinho), coordinator of the project. Another major goal of FOLSMART project is the creation of SOLFARCOS, a spin-off company with the mission of developing the FBL product. SOLFARCOS can be best understood as a virtual biotech start-up company with an impressively validated core technology for chronic inflammatory diseases. The company will be responsible for the commercialization of all issues related to intellectual property of the FOLSMART project.
“Not only will the patients benefit from the improved clinical outcomes but also the Health systems’ efficiency will be improved by avoiding an early start of biologic therapy”, says Prof. Artur Cavaco-Paulo (Departament of Biological Engineering, University of Minho/TecMinho), coordinator of the project. Another major goal of FOLSMART project is the creation of SOLFARCOS, a spin-off company with the mission of developing the FBL product. SOLFARCOS can be best understood as a virtual biotech start-up company with an impressively validated core technology for chronic inflammatory diseases. The company will be responsible for the commercialization of all issues related to intellectual property of the FOLSMART project.
|
Ambition
Current state-of-the-art therapies for rheumatoid arthritis include the treatment with free MTX (in tablets or injectable solution) and, when the patient becomes unresponsive/intolerant, a second line of expensive antibody-based therapies are administered to the patients. The FOLSMART project is expected to generate a cost effective alternative for the treatment of RA in a multidisciplinary context. The reduction/delay/permanent removal of use of expensive biologic therapies would benefit the patients, their insurers, and also patients from underdeveloped countries. In this way, FOLSMART proposes to implement a new therapeutic approach using FBLs able to provide a new type of cost efficient treatment for chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis with low side effects that will constitute a more advantageous solution than current therapies. |
|
|
FOLSMART proposes to test new therapeutic approaches using FBL able to provide a new type of cost efficient treatment for chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, with minimal side effects. This will constitute a more advantageous solution than current therapies.
|
About the Horizon 2020 Programme
Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020). It promises more breakthroughs, discoveries and world-firsts by taking great ideas from the lab to the market. FOLSMART is funded as part of the topic NMP-06-2015 - Novel nanomatrices and nanocapsules in the specific call H2020-NMP-PILOTS-2015.
Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020). It promises more breakthroughs, discoveries and world-firsts by taking great ideas from the lab to the market. FOLSMART is funded as part of the topic NMP-06-2015 - Novel nanomatrices and nanocapsules in the specific call H2020-NMP-PILOTS-2015.
Contact us |
Tecminho headquarters
Universidade do Minho Campus de Azurém 4800-058 Guimarães PORTUGAL |
Project co-funded by the European Commission within the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 68335.