Conversations with our Network: CELEX Oncology

In the latest edition of our Conversations with our Network series, we connect with Carsten Faltum and Dr. Sara Moodad from CELEX Oncology, the innovative company that won EIT Health’s Catapult 2024 competition in the Life Science category at the recently held Health.Tech conference in Munich.

Catapult pitching competition showcases Europe’s most promising life science and healthtech start-ups to leading investors. To date the programme has supported over 300 companies, many of which have closed investment rounds to the value of millions of euro after participating.

CELEX Oncology is revolutionising cancer treatment with a ground-breaking approach that aims to transform the disease from a terminal illness into a manageable chronic condition. The company’s leading drugs, CL-S01 and CL-S02, are aggression-reversing drugs designed to turn aggressive tumours back into a benign state, improving patient’s quality of life and increasing survival while enhancing the effectiveness of existing treatments like chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

Carsten Faltum, CEO and Co-Founder, has a rich background in chemistry and biology, with extensive experience in the life sciences industry, particularly in R&D coupled with several years as an investment manager in venture capital and corporate venture. Dr. Sara Moodad, Vice-President of Research and Development, holds a PhD in Cancer Research from the American University of Beirut and has worked in consultancy and DD at Alkamis venture builder in Singapore and the UK, adding a wealth of expertise to the team.

Read on as Carsten and Sara share how CELEX’s innovative mechanism that improves patient outcomes by focusing on preventing the spread of cancer rather than solely killing cancer cells.

Q. What is CELEX Oncology’s mission and the inspiration behind its focus on cancer treatment?

Our mission is to turn cancer into a chronic disease, thereby improving the quality of life and life expectancy for cancer patients.

If you look at current cancer treatments, they all aim at killing the cancer, which comes with significant side effects for patients. Our approach is different; we aim to turn cancer into a manageable chronic disease, much like HIV or diabetes. This way, patients can live longer and better lives.

90% of cancer deaths occur because the tumour spreads to other parts of the body. Our approach focuses on stopping this spread and reverting the cells back into their normal state, thereby keeping the tumour localized which has been shown to reduce the risk of death by 60%.

Q. Does this approach apply to all cancer types?

A. To date, we’ve detected our target—a voltage-gated sodium channel unique to tumour tissue—in over 18 tumour types. Initially, we are focusing on breast cancer, specifically triple-negative breast cancer, and castration-resistant prostate cancer. However, we envision expanding to other cancers in the future.

Q. Once cancer is turned into a chronic form, can patients still undergo treatments like chemotherapy?

Yes, our treatment is complementary to existing treatments and does not interfere with them. In fact, our data suggests that our treatment may make tumours more sensitive to traditional treatments like chemotherapy and immunotherapy, working synergistically to improve their efficacy.

So, what we’re doing is turning the tumour back into a benign state. Benign tumours are generally easier to treat than aggressive ones. Our approach essentially winds back the clock, and we can keep it from progressing further.

Q. What stages are you currently in regarding clinical trials, and do you have any significant findings to share?

We have two lead drugs, CL-S01 and CL-S02, ready for Phase 2A trials. We’ve verified our target’s role in over 18 tumour types and demonstrated its potential in preclinical animal models and human data. We know of one drug, ranolazine, which targets our channel but is marketed for another indication Angina pectoris which we have used as a model drug. In a cohort of 165 patients who had angina and developed cancer, Ranolazine treatment resulted in a significant 60% reduction in cancer-related mortality over ten years in patients with breast, colon, and prostate cancer.

Our strong preclinical data and real-world evidence validate our approach. The real-world data, involving large US database of over 12,000 patients validates our target and supports the effectiveness of our treatment mechanism. We will leverage this data to design and de-risk our clinical trials minimizing by simulating the outcome.

Q. What is CELEX Oncology’s long-term vision?

At CELEX Oncology, we envision a world where cancer is no longer a death sentence. Our long-term vision is to transform cancer from a fatal disease into a manageable one. We are dedicated to pioneering this transformation, aiming to develop an oral treatment that patients can take daily, keeping their tumours in check. From a business perspective, this translates to a robust model with recurring sales and a growing customer base, similar to the sale of insulin.

Initially, we are focusing on breast and prostate cancer but plan to expand to other cancer types. We are also planning global, multicentric trials and aiming for accelerated approvals.

Q. How was your experience of EIT Health’s Catapult competition?

A. Being part of the EIT Health community has been very rewarding. Winning the EIT Catapult granted us increased visibility and opened doors to valuable introductions with mentors, investors, pharma professionals, and potential partners. Our network has expanded significantly, connecting us with a wide range of professionals which has been both rewarding and inspiring.

The EIT Health Catapult programme has been one of the most well-executed and professional programmes we have seen. It provided us with valuable guidance, mentoring, and a challenging yet supportive environment, helping us refine our approach and avoid creating an echo chamber around our ideas.

Applications are now open for EIT Health Catapult 2024-25. Apply today.