Lead Pharma, a Netherlands-based pharmaceutical company, and French medicinal chemistry firm Oxeltis have been awarded an €800K ($842K) grant from EUREKA Eurostars to develop a novel therapy for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The funding will support their three-year EPIGENEXT joint project aimed at creating a first-in-class small molecule treatment for this aggressive blood cancer.
Addressing Critical Unmet Medical Need
DLBCL represents an aggressive, fast-growing blood cancer that develops from B-cells in the lymphatic system, affecting approximately 115,000 people per year worldwide, with 50,000 cases occurring in Europe and the US. The disease presents a significant therapeutic challenge, as current first-line treatment options leave substantial room for improvement.
The standard treatment regimen for DLBCL combines an antibody therapy with four chemotherapy drugs in a protocol known as R-CHOP. However, this approach fails to cure 30-50% of DLBCL patients, who eventually experience disease relapse. The prognosis for these patients remains particularly concerning, with long-term survival rates showing that less than 30% of patients achieve one-year survival following relapse.
Current Treatment Limitations
Beyond efficacy concerns, existing chemotherapy approaches present significant tolerability challenges. The non-selective nature of chemotherapy drugs leads to debilitating, systemic side effects including tiredness and anemia, substantially impacting patient quality of life. These limitations underscore the urgent need for novel, effective therapies that can improve both survival outcomes and quality of life for DLBCL patients.
Strategic Partnership and Expertise
The EPIGENEXT collaboration leverages the complementary strengths of both organizations. Lead Pharma brings expertise in developing innovative small-molecule drugs for autoimmune diseases and cancer, operating from fully equipped laboratories at Pivot Park in Oss, the Netherlands. The company maintains capabilities across all stages of drug discovery, including medicinal chemistry, cellular pharmacology, molecular pharmacology, and computational chemistry.
Oxeltis contributes specialized medicinal chemistry expertise, having been established in 2010 by former researchers from Idenix Pharmaceuticals. The Montpellier-based company operates with a scientific team of 26 experienced chemists, including 15 PhDs, with recognized expertise in specific areas of organic synthesis including nucleosides/nucleotides, modified sugars, macrocycles, and PROTAC technologies.
Leadership Perspectives
Arthur Oubrie, Chief Scientific Officer of Lead Pharma, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration: "We are delighted that our approach to combat DLBCL has been awarded a Eurostars grant. We look forward to joining forces with Oxeltis, who will bring extra power in organic and medicinal chemistry to the joint project team."
Stéphane Salamone, chemistry director at Oxeltis, emphasized the strategic alignment: "We are pleased to contribute to Lead Pharma's innovation in drug discovery, the EPIGENEXT project perfectly matches Oxeltis' capacity to be a medicinal chemistry partner and is aligned with the company's strategy to invest in long-term partnerships."
Funding and Program Background
The €800K grant comes from EUREKA Eurostars, a European program that supports innovative small and medium-sized enterprises and project partners through funding for international collaborative R&D and innovation projects. EUREKA operates as an intergovernmental network involving 37 countries, facilitating cross-border scientific collaboration and innovation in the life sciences sector.
