European consortiums with Swiss startups awarded grants

Scandens, software provider for building energy renovations, has been appointed as technology partner for EU co-funded MESTRI-CE project. With a total budget of 2.5 million Euro, the 2-year initiative aims to translate EU guidelines into actionable measures, driving the transformation of the Central European building sector towards enhanced sustainability.  Over the next two years, Scandens will collaborate with the Austrian engineering firm e7 energy innovation & engineering and partners in Croatia, Italy, Germany and Poland, providing its Smart Data Hub solution. The solution streamlines the energy renovation planning process with the goal of increasing renovation rates and significantly reducing carbon footprint across the region. 

Since its launch in June 2023, the ETH spin-off Scandens has made significant strides in the Swiss market, with its software used to analyse over 6,000 buildings and optimize over 700 structures for cost-effective and CO2-efficient refurbishment. This has resulted in projected savings of over EUR 100 million and a reduction of almost 300,000 tons of CO2 emissions over a span of the next 25 years.

Bioversys secures more funding
Shortly after receiving funding from GSK, BioVersys has obtained an additional non-dilutive award of up to GBP 500’000 from the CF AMR Syndicate via a LifeArc funded Collaborative Discovery Programme (CDP). The multi-asset, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, will use the funds to support the development of novel small molecules targeting difficult to treat non-tubercular mycobacteria lung disease (NTM-LD) in people with cystic fibrosis (CF), which affects over 162,000 people globally. Besides funding, the CF AMR Syndicate (LifeArc, Medicines Discovery Catapult and Cystic Fibrosis Trust) will collaborate with Bioversys, expanding its network and expertise. BioVersys focus lies in the research and development of novel antibacterial products for serious, life-threatening infections caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria.

Alveolix repors positive results in EpicoliX Project 
AlveoliX, a pioneer in organ-on-chip technology, and EpiEndo Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biopharma company leading in epithelial biology, have reached significant milestones in their EpicoliX Project aimed to revolutionize ulcerative colitis (UC) treatment. The EpicoliX Project began in May 2021 with EpiEndo and AlveoliX working together to develop potential novel therapeutics for UC. The project combines AlveoliX’s cutting-edge organ-on-chip technology with EpiEndo’s expertise in chronic inflammatory diseases and drug development, including its portfolio of proprietary epithelium-enhancing, anti-inflammatory drugs. By enhancing the epithelium, EpiEndo’s new class of orally available macrolides, known as ‘Barriolides™’, have the potential to alleviate inflammation and ulcer formation, offering a novel therapeutic approach for UC and other inflammatory indications.

To date, the key milestones of the EpicoliX Project are as follows:

• A new gut-on-chip model has been developed to mimic the colon epithelium of UC patients, and used to screen and select lead compounds from EpiEndo’s libraries that indicate promising effects on the gut epithelium.
• The selected compounds have undergone comprehensive preclinical testing, including in vivo studies, to validate their efficacy in enhancing the colon epithelium.
• The parallel testing of the compounds within the AX gut on-chip model made a significant impact on decision-making and contributed essentially to the successful candidate selection.
• A Barriolide™, Enterothelin, emerged as the lead candidate compound, showing promise as a first-in-class therapy that addresses the underlying cause of UC.

The EpicoliX Project is supported by a grant of EUR1.4M from the Eureka Eurostars funding program, the Icelandic Technology Development Fund, and Innosuisse in Switzerland.

(Press release/RAN)