ICREA researcher has set up spin-off Supragen at IRB Barcelona

Promoted by the scientist Roger Gomis, Supragen is the third spin-off at IRB Barcelona, the second founded this year

Roger Gomis, ICREA researcher at the Institute of Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) has set up the spin-off Supragen. With the support of IRB Barcelona and the Instituci- Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avan-ats (ICREA), this initiative is the second biotech company to emerge from the institute since June and the third since this centre was set up towards the end of 2005. Supragen seeks to develop a diagnostic kit and also new treatments for breast cancer metastasis. Registered in Barcelona, this new company is supported by base capital from the founding partners and expects to close negotiations for capital risk funding mid October.

Supragen is the result of the research performed by Gomis' team in the Growth Control and Cancer Metastasis Lab at IRB Barcelona. These scientists have recently identified a gene with the capacity to predict the risk of metastasis of breast cancer to the bone. "Supragen will be directed toward two market opportunities at the same time", explains Gomis. First, it will develop a series of tools to diagnose breast cancer patients with a high risk of suffering metastasis to the bone (the most common kind of metastasis in this kind of cancer). This will allow the design and modification of current treatments to adapt to the risk of each patient. In addition, the company will develop new therapeutic molecules that inhibit the gene as its activity is required for metastasis to bone. Thus this gene is an "excellent candidate" against which to direct inhibitors.