“Ideas bold enough to push the limits of human imagination lie at the heart of research.”
Forging closer ties with investors and fund managers from Europe’s largest financial centre is the ambition of the representatives of IOCB Prague, the leading medicinal chemistry and biotechnology research centre based in the Czech Republic, whose influence extends across Europe’.
The organisers of Czech Life Sciences & Biotech Showcase aim to demonstrate that Central Europe — and the Luxembourg financial marketplace — can prosper together and rediscover a golden age reminiscent of the era of Charles IV, son of John of Luxembourg (1370–1397).
The Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (IOCB Prague) is a leading research institution in organic chemistry, biochemistry, medicinal chemistry, chemical biology and drug discovery. This major institution has chosen Luxembourg and is considering collaboration by calling on the financial marketplace to fund its projects through IOCB Tech, its technology-transfer platform.
This is not without precedent. A deep relationship already existed between Luxembourg and what is now the Czech Republic. Around 700 years ago, Charles IV — none other than the son of John of Luxembourg, known as John the Blind — played a key and decisive role in the development of the Czech region. Also known as Charles of Luxembourg, an emblematic monarch of the Holy Roman Empire, his reign marked Prague’s first golden age, with a significant expansion of the city and the creation of an impressive Gothic heritage. At that time, Prague became the third-largest city in Europe.
A pioneer, he revolutionised research against AIDS
Closer to our own time, the name Antonín Holý has risen to prominence in the scientific world and is closely linked to the history of IOCB Prague, a part of the Czech Academy of Sciences. He was a pioneer of Czech research in the 1980s and 1990s. A renowned Czech chemist, his work revolutionised the development of antiviral drugs used to treat HIV and hepatitis B. His discoveries of antivirals such as tenofovir, adefovir and others among these key treatments for HIV and hepatitis B represented a giant leap forward for science.
The world of biotechnology and research remains one of innovation and the future, but it is not without risk. Milan Prášil, Director of IOCB Tech, the Institute’s transfer platform, acknowledges that in start-ups, only around one in twenty manages to reach maturity and achieve its research and financial objectives. However, the success of a single project is often more than enough to offset numerous failures. For example, Antonín Holý’s discovery, which was primarily used in the fight against AIDS, generated substantial royalties for nearly two decades.
When asked about the impact of artificial intelligence, Milan Prášil’s eyes light up. Artificial intelligence is also in the process of revolutionising biotechnology and the entire research ecosystem, with the potential to accelerate miracles and make research less uncertain.
It saves time and improves quality by helping to eliminate errors or false leads more quickly. AI has become a facilitator and accelerator in the biotech world, thanks to greater precision that enables better identification and selection. Research timelines are significantly reduced, particularly in the field of simulations. Computing speed, as well as the opening up of new pathways and methods, are now made possible by AI.
Just as importantly, artificial intelligence makes it possible to abandon projects whose chances of success become too uncertain at an earlier stage, allowing resources and talent to be better focused and directed towards the most promising projects.
Even rare earths
Rare earth elements, known by the acronym REE, are ubiquitous and essential in advanced technologies, including the defense industry. However, their processing is complex and has significant environmental impacts.
The scientific team led by Dr Miloslav Polášek at IOCB Prague has developed a new method for separating rare earth elements, or lanthanides, which are widely used in the electronics, medical, automotive and defense industries. This unique method makes it possible to purify metals such as neodymium or dysprosium from used neodymium magnets. This environmentally friendly process precipitates rare earths from water without the use of organic solvents or toxic substances. The results were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) at the end of June.
In addition, Tomáš Pluskal, an ERC grant recipient and EMBO member, is a leading figure in a field he is shaping through his own research combining artificial intelligence, biology and plant enzymes.
Since 2010, results from fundamental research have been commercialised.
The successes of the past ten years
On average, ten patents originating from IOCB have been granted each year. Eleven licensing agreements have been signed, and eight projects have been incubated in the fields of cancer treatment, central nervous system diseases, inflammation, infections and liver diseases, including the iBodies project.
Among the selected partners are Merck Millipore, for a system transporting labelled nucleoside triphosphates for DNA labelling in living cells (already available on the market under the name BioTracker™ NTP-Transporter Molecule), as well as Novo Nordisk for new methods to treat obesity and associated diseases, and SHINE Technologies for a new technology to isolate Lu-177.
The butterfly, a symbol of hope for cancer patients
As a bold idea in the field of oncology, the central role of IOCB Prague in the creation of Taveren Therapeutics deserves mention. This new biotechnology company is developing an innovative approach with the potential to treat cancer. The scientist behind this groundbreaking concept and founder of the company is Dr Zuzana Kečkéšová. She has been pursuing this line of research for many years, including during her postdoctoral work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her work focuses on a unique strategy to enhance the body’s natural ability to defend itself against malignant tumours. This research continues at IOCB Prague and has been supported for several years by BTCZ Ventures, part of the BPD Partners group, which is also the largest shareholder in the new spin-off.
