Bionucleon

The company

  • Spin-off of the “Istituto di Biostrutture e Bioimmagini” (IBB), National Research Council, Napoli; established in 2005, it operates in the field of anti-cancer drug discovery.
  • BioNucleon’s lead candidate, BN210, is a pegylated aptamer which targets the N-terminal PWWP domain shared by all the Hepatoma Derived Growth Factors (HDGF), blocks the factors’ activity and inhibits angiogenesis. Potential applications include neuroblastoma, NSCLC and hepatoma.
  • Two patents filed in 2005 and 2008.

Current Status

  • Validated HRP3 (a member of the HDGF family) as a target for inhibition of angiogenesis.
  • BioNucleon has synthesized and developed aptamers against HRP-3 and selected the aptamer BN210 as its lead compound due to its in-vitro anti-angiogenic and anti-neuroblastoma activities.
  • In vivo, BN210 has no anti-tumor activity, but enhances the anti-neuroblastoma activity of vincristine.
  • BN210 does not show toxicity in mice independently from the dose or route of administration.
  • Ongoing validation of BN210 synergy with other anti-cancer drugs against neuroblastoma and non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  • Interested in partnership for further development of BN210.