Exogenus secures €13M EU consortium backing for secretome therapy in osteoarthritis
Portugal-based Exogenus Therapeutics will lead a five-year, €13 million Horizon Europe project to advance its osteoarthritis candidate EXO-101 into clinical testing.
The ExoCordOA consortium brings together 10 organizations, including Lonza, the UK charity Anthony Nolan, Eliquent Life Sciences, iLoF, Utrecht University, University Medical Center Utrecht, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Image Analysis Group and ReumaNederland. Funding will support Phase 1 and Phase 2 development of EXO-101, alongside work on manufacturing, quality control and regulatory requirements.
How it works: EXO-101 is derived from nonengineered umbilical cord blood cells. It contains an extracellular vesicle-enriched secretome, a mixture of cell-secreted material that includes proteins, microRNAs and lipids.
Exogenus says these components could act across multiple disease pathways to support joint health. Whether that translates into slower disease progression in patients remains to be tested.
Why it matters: EXO-101 aims to modify the course of osteoarthritis, rather than simply relieve symptoms. Current care includes exercise, pain medication and, for severely damaged joints, replacement surgery.
The project will also tackle a broader challenge: establishing consistent ways to manufacture and assess medicines made from the complex mixtures of substances that cells release. Beyond developing EXO-101, the consortium plans to improve analytical methods, tests of biological potency and manufacturing standards. It also aims to clarify the regulatory pathway for future secretome-based medicines.
Backstory: EXO-101’s development grew out of research into wound healing. In a 2021 study, Exogenus researchers and academic collaborators isolated small extracellular vesicles from umbilical cord blood cells. The vesicles accelerated skin repair in diabetic mice and shifted macrophages, immune cells involved in inflammation and repair, toward an anti-inflammatory state in laboratory experiments.
That activity provides a rationale for exploring osteoarthritis, where persistent inflammation contributes to joint damage. Exogenus is investigating whether the candidate’s combination of anti-inflammatory and regenerative signals could help protect joint tissue and slow disease progression.
What’s next: Exogenus expects the first human studies, Phase 1b trials in patients with moderate osteoarthritis, to begin in early 2028. The announcement does not disclose patient numbers, trial endpoints or how the €13 million will be divided among partners.
