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i&i Prague supports the innovative start-up PEP-Therapy in their extension of the Series-A financing, totalling €5.4 million to progress the clinical development of the lead candidate PEP-010 PEP-Therapy, a biotechnology company developing cell penetrating peptides as targeted therapies for the treatment of cancers, announced today that it raised an additional €2.6 million ($3 million) in an extension of its Series A financing round, bringing the total raised in this round to €5.4 million ($6.4 million). This new funding comprises €1.6 million in equity from Anaxago, i&i Prague and BADGE as well as a €1 million loan from Bpifrance. This increased financial support highlights the potential of PEP-010, as well as PEP-Therapy’s Cell Penetrating & Interfering Peptide (CP&IP) technology platform, which was first developed at Sorbonne University and Institut Curie. PEP-010 is the first of a new class of therapeutic peptides based on PEP-Therapy’s innovative Cell Penetrating & Interfering Peptide (CP&IP) technology. These innovative molecules penetrate cells and specifically block relevant intracellular protein-protein interactions, leading to the inhibition of key pathological mechanisms, without altering physiological mechanisms. PEP-Therapy will use the funds to finance the Phase I a/b clinical trial of PEP-010, PEP-Therapy’s lead candidate, for the treatment of advanced solid tumors. The first part of the Series A, which closed in April 2021, will finance the Phase Ia dose escalation part of the study, with the additional funds being used for the development of PEP-010 until the end of the expansion cohorts, Phase Ib. PEP-Therapy expects to generate promising clinical data from this study, particularly in two indications: metastatic triple negative breast cancer and platinum resistant ovarian cancer. Patients with these two types of solid tumors have a poor prognosis and limited therapeutic alternatives. Antoine Prestat, CEO and co-founder of PEP-Therapy, said: “We are delighted to have completed this financing round via an attractive balance of dilutive and non-dilutive funds from new high quality and diversified investors who will bring expertise and new insights to support our development.” Jaromír Zahrádka, PhD, CEO of i&i, commented: “PEP-Therapy has developed an extensive knowledge of targeted peptides and the promising preclinical data the company has generated show great potential. We are looking forward to seeing the confirmation of the positive results seen in preclinical data in the upcoming Phase I study.” Gaston Vasseur, Investment Manager at Anaxago, added “This extended financing highlights PEPTherapy’s capacity to attract highly specialized as well as diversified investors. The Company has managed to rapidly secure the funding for the Phase I trial with PEP-010, a very important milestone for the company. We are happy to contribute to this financing round in conjunction with a number of experienced life science investors.” In addition, PEP-Therapy and its clinical partners, Institut Curie and Gustave Roussy, previously received a €2.9 million grant from the French state innovation fund – Fonds Unique Interministériel (FUI) – to finance nonclinical and early clinical development of PEP-010. About Anaxago Founded in 2012, Anaxago Venture Capital is a digital VC firm specialised in Healthtech & Biotech, Proptech, Fintech and Impact investing. Anaxago Venture Capital has financed more than 45 companies since its creation. About BADGE Business Angels des Grandes Ecoles (BADGE), created in 2004, is a leading French Business Angels association with more than 280 members, and having participated in 21 fundraisings in 2020 of a combined value of over €5.3 million. Its members are recognized leaders in all sectors of the industry and are willing to finance and support young innovative companies with high growth potential. BADG aims to: Identify and review promising innovative projects Conduct fund-raising for the most promising ones Support the entrepreneurs with individualized business advice and key contacts Provide training and methodological support to its members BADGE has thus financed more than 185 young companies since its creation.

The Prague.bio international conference will bring together the best of science and business in Prague. Promising ideas will receive money for their development. Prague, 25 April 2023. The first edition of the Prague.bio international conference will offer a unique meeting of representatives from science and business who will exchange their experiences in the development of new drugs, diagnostics, medical technologies and other areas of biotechnology. The event is supported by the Czech government and will feature renowned experts from the world of BioTech. The Prague.bio international conference is intended for academics, investors and industry representatives from all over Central Europe. Experienced investors, representatives of leading pharmaceutical as well as diagnostic companies and technology transfer offices will meet promising startups, scientists and students to help them with advice and insights in commercializing their scientific ideas. For industry representatives and investors, the conference will provide an interesting space for exchanging ideas and establishing further cooperation. "Science and business are often two completely different worlds. But they need each other and have something to offer each other. Scientific projects are often a source of unique commercial ideas and an interesting investment opportunity, while successful commercialisation of scientific knowledge brings significant financial resources back into research," explains Prof. Martin Fusek, Director of IOCB Tech, one of the organisers of the conference. According to him, the Prague.bio conference should contribute to the creation of a permanent network of partners whose goal will be to build a more effective transfer of biotechnology not only in the Czech Republic but also in the entire Central European area. The transfer is also supported by the government "Who does not transfer is not a good economist. The transfer of scientific research knowledge into practice is one of the priorities of our government and I am pleased that a conference is being prepared to help this even on an international scale," explains Helena Langšádlová, Minister for Science, Research and Innovation of the Czech Republic, whose department is co-organizing the event. Moreover, according to the Minister, technology transfer is an important topic not only for science but also for the national economy. It can generate billions of Czech crowns in revenue annually. The Prague conference is based on the experience of similar events abroad. However, it is unique in Central Europe. "At the moment, we can reveal that the Prague.bio conference will not lack lectures by representatives of major pharmaceutical companies, we are also preparing an interesting panel discussion with foreign investors and several pitch sessions that will provide an opportunity to present promising projects in the field of biotechnology," adds Jaromír Zahrádka, CEO of the i&i Biotech Fund and founder of the i&i Prague bio-innovation centre, another of the conference organisers. The conference will take place on 26 September at Liechtenstein Palace in Prague. Registration is now open for those interested in attending. The relevant form, including payment options, can be found at www.prague.bio . The fee for early registration is 200 Euros, or 150 Euros for students and researchers. Interesting scientific research ideas can also apply for the event and register at the above-mentioned website. The registered projects will be evaluated by an expert committee and the best ones will compete for investor support at the conference. Contact Martin Kovalčík, 777 472 863, kovalcik@iniprague.com Martin Opatrný, 602 252 405, opatrny@prclinic.eu About IOCB Tech The Technology Transfer Office IOCB Tech, s.r.o. is a fully owned subsidiary of the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (IOCB). The main responsibilities of IOCB Tech include the identification of commercially interesting projects at IOCB, analysis of their market potential and patentability, protection of intellectual property, support for the development of the projects in the form of project management, search for commercial partners and negotiation of contractual terms for signing license agreements. IOCB Tech has been involved in the process of negotiating and concluding more than a dozen key license agreements with major pharmaceutical partners such as Gilead Sciences, Merck, Novo Nordisk and SHINE Medical Technologies. In 2017, the company established a subsidiary, i&i Prague, which focuses on funding promising early-stage projects at the Institute and other research and academic institutions. For more information visit www.iocbtech.cz . About i&i Prague The i&i Prague Bio-Innovation Center focuses on the transfer of new technologies into practice. The company was established at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS and is mainly dedicated to innovations in the field of drug development, diagnostics and medical devices originating from academic institutions. It supports the creation of spin-off companies and the sale of licenses. So far, the company has participated in the creation of or otherwise supported 15 spin-off companies from five countries, has an equity stake in nine of them and has invested over 70 million crowns. In total, the spin-offs in i&i Prague's portfolio have raised more than CZK 1.8 billion from other investors. In addition to direct financial investments, i&i Prague also assists more than 15 research institutions and universities in the Czech Republic and abroad in the commercialization of innovative technologies. In 2021, i&i Prague started up the i&i Bio investment fund. About i&i Biotech Fund (i&i Bio) i&i Bio is a Luxembourg-based venture capital firm that invests in innovative European Life Sciences companies focused on drug discoveries, medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health. The Fund was created thanks to the cooperation of the biotech incubator i&i Prague and the European Investment Fund (see below). With over €47M under management, i&i Bio plans to invest in about 20 early-stage companies. i&i Bio is led by an experienced team of professionals with backgrounds in private equity, healthcare and venture capital supporting entrepreneurs on their journey to global success. Thanks to close cooperation with the fund’s main sponsor, the biotech academic incubator i&i Prague, i&i Bio is supporting and advancing transformative Central European technology companies. For more information visit www.inibio.eu . About EIF i&i Bio is supported by an investment from the EIF, with the support of: lnnovFin Equity, with the financial backing of the European Union under Horizon 2020 Financial Instruments and the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) set up under the Investment Plan for Europe. The purpose of EFSI is to help support financing and implementing productive investments in the European Union and to ensure increased access to financing; and the Pan-European Guarantee Fund (EGF), implemented by the EIF with the financial support of the Participating Member States. The objective of EGF is to respond to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by ensuring that companies in the Participating Member States have sufficient short-term liquidity available to weather the crisis and are able to continue their growth and development in the medium to long-term.

Czech liquid biopsy startup Elphogene comes under full control of one of the founders February 6, 2023 Czech biotechnology start-up Elphogene who pioneered cancer monitoring through its liquid biopsy technology has announced a change in its shareholder structure. The new and sole owner is now Marek Minarik, one of the two original founders of the company. Elphogene, which based its original business plan on molecular cancer diagnostics and monitoring of cancer therapy for patients with colorectal tumors using its proprietary liquid biopsy technology, has seen unprecedented economic growth over the past two years resulting from COVID-19 PCR tests. The company chief, Marek Minárik, says: "With the outbreak of the covid pandemic we have surprisingly seen a significant decrease in interest in our oncology diagnostics from the referring clinical sites. Based on this, our SARS-CoV-2 virus PCR protocol, which was originally developed only for internal testing of our oncology patients, was then converted into accredited regime and after obtaining a license for the Czech National Institute of Public Health we have become part of the official national network of testing laboratories." Elphogene labs, which greatly benefited from their location near the Václav Havel International Airport in Prague - Ruzyne, processed close to 330,000 PCR tests throughout the pandemic, representing approximately 1% of all COVID PCR tests performed at that time in the Czech Republic. The company was first with accreditation for COVID-19 PCR testing, and also one of the first to introduce and validate the pooling method for preventive screening provided to a number of primary and secondary schools in Prague and the Central Bohemia region. "After the decline in COVID tests during the spring of last year, we decided to focus fully to the research and development of a new generation of our technology for the sensitive detection of tumor-specific markers in the peripheral blood of oncology patients," says Minarik, adding: "At the end of the last year, we succeeded in validating of a completely new approach, for which we are now finalizing European patent application. At the same time, we have already approached several leading players in the field of instrument diagnostics with a possibility of technology transfer." Minarik, one of the two original founders, who until now owned 78% stake in the company, acquired the remaining share from a biotechnology incubator i&i Prague, which was the original angel investor when Elphogene was founded at the beginning of 2020. The founder share buy-back, which took place during the last days of December, represents the second successful exit of the investing fund which was established at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in Prague. i&i Prague: Our mission ends, we wish you much success In the portfolio of the bio-innovation center i&i Prague, Elphogene was among the most mature. "Our investments were at the early stage of the company and helped the transition of its technology from the laboratory to oncology patients and, last but not least, enabled it to respond flexibly to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to this, Elphogene has become one of the leading laboratories in the Czech Republic in the diagnosis of this disease," says Jiri Moos, executive director of i&i Prague and, until recently, also one of Elphogene's executives. The task of i&i Prague is to search for promising technologies and help them with their introduction to the market. This was achieved in this case, the company Elphogene is today a functioning private healthcare facility that has all the necessary accreditations and permits authorizing it to operate its activities. "At this point, our mission ends and we will focus on supporting other unique ideas from our portfolio. We would like to thank Associate Professor Marek Minarik for excellent cooperation and wish the Elphogene company much success in the commercialization of their technology," adds Jiri Moos. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

Meet Our Team Our team benefits from decades of know-how and experiences gathered in academic institutions, technology transfer and industrial companies. Using this knowledge, we are developing a pool of highly potent biotech projects originating in academia and finding commercial partners for them. Jiří Moos CEO, Board of Directors Jiří Moos is the Executive Director at i&i Prague. Read More Iva Machová Project Manager Iva Machová is a Project Manager at i&i Prague. Read More Martin Kovalčík Communications Martin Kovalčík is our Communications Manager. Read More Milan Prášil Chairman, Board of directors Milan Prášil is the Chairman of the Board of Directors. Read More Jiří Růžička Project Manager Jiri Ruzicka is a Project manager at i&i Prague. Read More Simona Šandová Office Manager Simona Šandová is the Office Manager of i&i Prague. Read More David Stíbal Board of Directors, Vice Director David Stíbal is the Vice Director at i&i Prague. Read More Roberto Fernandez Project Manager Roberto Fernandez is a Project manager at i&i Prague. Read More Mikuláš Vargic External Lawyer Mikuláš studied law at Masaryk University Brno and International and European Law at the University of Antwerp. Read More Our Mission We scout and support the growth through discovery, pre-seed or seed phase of the most promising projects with innovative potential in Drug Discovery, Diagnostics, MedTech and other Life Science fields. Our Objective Our ambition is to become a leading partner advancing and promoting game-changing biotech inventions coming from the Central Europe region. Our Team Our team benefits from expertise and experience gathered from IOCB and IOCB Tech. We are developing a pool of highly promising biotech projects originating from academia and finding commercial partners for them. Our background We operate as a private company under the wings of the Czech Academy of Sciences and its Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (IOCB). From 1994 to 2002, the IOCB was led by Dr. Antonín Holý, whose team invented and developed hugely effective and successful anti-HIV drugs (Truvada, Atripla, Complera, Eviplera). We believe that this is a legacy to build upon and that, with your and our combined expertise, we can make this world a better place and help millions of people.

< Back Alexandr Krajhanzl Board of Directors Alexandr Krajhanzl has been a part of i&i Prague since September 2021. He is also a member of the Board for the Commercialization of Science and Research Results of Charles University Prague. Between 1993 and 2004 he worked in various General Management functions in Cilag, later Janssen-Cilag, Johnson & Johnson. In 2004 as the Regional Director he became responsible for Business Development in EMEA Emerging Markets (80 countries) at Janssen, J&J Pharmaceutical companies. His responsibility changed from 2010 until 2017 when he acted as the Regional Director of New Business Development in the territory covering Europe Mid-Sized Markets. Between 2004 and 2017 he was a member of the Global BD team responsible for L&A and M&A initiatives and projects in Infectious Diseases and Vaccines. During his tenure in this position, he led or participated in numerous global, regional and local L&A and M&A deals. For his contribution, he was rewarded with two Global Standards of Leadership Awards of Johnson & Johnson. Between 2013 and 2019 he also served as the President and Founding Member of Pharma Licensing Group Central and Eastern Europe and Vice-President of the European Pharma Licensing Board. Alexandr completed his Master’s degree in Chemistry at Charles University in Prague. He has received a Ph.D. (CSc.) degree in Biochemistry and worked as a Charles University teacher for almost 11 years at the Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science. Should you be interested in a collaboration in the field of drug development, Alexandr will be the right contact whom you can meet. He has been in the world of science and its commercialization for more than 20 years and has an extensive network of contacts among Pharma and Medical Device companies.