Vésale Bioscience wins R&D grant

Under the grant provided by the EIC Accelerator Fund for the PhageDiag project, Belgian Vésale Bioscience BV (Namur) will develop a phage therapy diagnostic platform to fight multidrug-resistant infections. Within the PhageDiag project, a phagogram using artificial intelligence will be developed that enables decentralized diagnostics and personalized treatment of bacterial infections. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top ten global public health threats facing humanity. The economic cost of treating patients affected by multidrug-resistant bacteria could reach $100 billion (€88.5bn) by 2025.
 
The EIC Accelerator jury said the the project can provide a clear diagnosis “that allows a personalised phage treatment which potentially gives a higher rate of success.” PhageDiag, is a fast and user-friendly diagnostic technology, or phagogram, for personalized phage therapy. It is the first automated in vitro diagnostic tool that enables a quick determination of suitable bacteriophages for treating a particular bacterial infection. PhageDiag consists of a basic test kit (a disposable well plate with reagents), a high-performance luminometer and a dedicated software that offers the best matching phage combination to treat the patient, using artificial intelligence.
 
“We work in close collaboration with the Belgian regulators. This was an additional factor in the EIC Accelerator jury’s decision to award us this grant for our PhageDiag project. It allows us to act as a ‘test’ case for Europe,” said Gunther Vanwezer, CEO of Vésale Bioscience.

Vésale Bioscience’s technology guarantees a reactivity in a very short time – three hours instead of three days). The company also has a phage library of 96 references. Since 2020, Vésale Bioscience has been collaborating with the Belgian army in the framework of a ‘Triple Helix’ agreement between industry, the federal government and academia, a first for an R&D project on phage therapy. The research projects developed are supported by the Walloon Region’s life sciences competitiveness cluster (BioWin) and the Walloon public research service, allowing the company to raise €10 millionin grants in 2019.
Foun. In December 2021, Vésale Bioscience was elected Europe’s most innovative start-up in life sciences during the tenth edition of the European Biofit Congress.