EVerZom, based in Paris, raised €1.1 million in funding from institutional and private investors to develop its exosome bioproduction platform. This funding is expected to accelerate platform development and scaleup, with the objective to allow routine clinical grade production by 2022.

Exosomes are biological nanoparticles released by cells as an intercellular communication system to transport biomolecules. They have the ability to deliver therapeutics or regenerate tissue in several pathologies, including osteoarthritis, heart failure, and liver and kidney diseases, conditions which impact more than 150 million patients worldwide, according to Jeanne Volatron, PhD, co-founder and president of EVerZom, who calls exosomes “one of the safest and most promising future regenerative therapy solutions.” They are also easy to store and have a low immunogenic profile, thus reinforcing their potential, she adds.

The main obstacle to the translation of exosomes into clinical development is industrial manufacturing while maintaining robust quality and reproducibility, says Volatron. The company’s approach is to apply turbulence stimulation on cells to trigger massive exosome release. This method enables the production of ten times more exosome ten times more rapidly than classical methods, claims Volatron. The technology is being developed and already implemented in GMP certified systems, simplifying the clinical transfer, she notes.

“We are delighted with this financing opportunity, which will enable us to industrialize our proprietary technology and meet the growing demand of the exosome market,” continues Volatron. “Our ambition is to foster the emergence of new exosome therapeutic strategies and to make them accessible to the largest possible number of patients as quickly as possible.”