Could you please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about Alpha Onco?
My name is Edouard Alphandéry, I am the founder of Alpha Onco Swiss, the Swiss subsidiary of the French company Nanobacterie. We are working on the development of a cancer treatment using natural minerals that we introduce into tumors and heat with ultrasound. Our goal is to make this treatment available to as many people as possible. We are particularly focused on the treatment of prostate tumors, which we want to make more easily accessible. We aim to simplify the treatment currently offered for this pathology by avoiding the need for hospitalization, general anesthesia and the operating room. This approach is of great interest for populations that do not have access to hospital care or in situations where health structures are saturated.
The Valais Economic Development played a vital role in assisting us with the administrative aspects of establishing our legal structure and setting up our company in Monthey.
Could you explain why you decided to set up an office in Switzerland, and in particular Monthey?
We have always had a strong collaboration with Switzerland, especially with the University of Zurich, with whom we have already completed three Eurostars projects in collaboration with our French company and the University. Switzerland is very much involved in our project, which requires a high level of innovation and research. Swiss Universities are very strong in the field of biotechnology, as are those in France. The combination of these two strengths creates an environment conducive to the emergence of new technologies.
We have been working closely with Switzerland for the past six years, and the decision to create a subsidiary in this country was an obvious one for me, as it facilitates collaboration between France and Switzerland. The question of the location of the new subsidiary then arose. I contacted GGBa and the French-Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIFS), who introduced me to several facilities that could welcome start-ups.
We finally chose to set up at the BioArk in Monthey, in the canton of Valais, which offers a lot of support to start-ups such as ours. For instance, our presence at the BioArk allows us to benefit from the expertise of Switzerland in terms of regulatory matters. The BioArk helps us to comply with Swiss regulations for our product, which is an innovative treatment. We can use this expertise to ensure the quality and safety of our product.
How has GGBa supported you?
We were assisted by GGBa and the CCIFS, who familiarized us with various incubation models in Switzerland, including those in Basel, Zurich, Geneva, and Monthey. After carefully evaluating our options, we ultimately selected Monthey as the location for our operations. Thierry Baglan of GGBa and Olivier Dupont of the Chamber of Commerce shared valuable insights on different incubation structures, enabling us to identify the most suitable environment for our company.
The Valais Economic Development played a vital role in assisting us with the administrative aspects of establishing our legal structure and setting up our company in Monthey. They provided us with invaluable support services, particularly in navigating regulatory requirements. Their assistance proved crucial in enabling us to establish our operations quickly and efficiently in Switzerland.
What’s your vision for Alpha Onco in Switzerland? Where do you see the business in five years’ time?
Our company’s next major objective is to secure funding for the expansion of our operations. This endeavor will involve three critical phases. Initially, we must complete the preclinical stage, which entails regulatory toxicity testing and the production of particles that adhere to regulatory standards. We anticipate that this phase will require one to two years to complete. Subsequently, we will embark on a two-year clinical trial, which will involve approximately 40 patients with prostate tumors. Only after the successful completion of this trial can we begin to commercialize our treatment product. Our ultimate goal is to provide treatment to the entire patient population that currently lacks access to care due to high costs, limited hospital access, or a lack of reimbursement. We are confident that our innovative treatment will benefit these vulnerable populations, particularly in areas of the world with limited or non-existent healthcare services.
Our top priority at present is to secure funding that will enable us to achieve our future objectives. To this end, we are actively seeking private investment that will help us develop our business operations in Switzerland and drive progress in our cancer treatment research. While pursuing this goal, we remain committed to maintaining our international dimension and sustaining our collaboration between France and Switzerland in pursuit of this project.
