Success story

A breakthrough in the fight against HER2+ breast cancer with brain metastases.

Precirix (previously Camel-IDS), a satellite of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel set up in 2014, combines a radioactive element with llama nanobodies. After entering tumour cells, the nanobodies detach from the radioactive product, which irradiates the core of the tumour and kills the targeted cells with exquisite precision. The VUB, the Foundation and three Belgian business angels enabled Prof. Tony Lahoutte and Precirix to bring a Phase I trial of its flagship product, CAM-H2, to a successful conclusion in 2017.

Shortly afterwards, the new Managing Director of Precirix, Ruth Devenyns, raised a series A round (one of the largest that year in Belgium in the biotech sector) to continue Phase Ib/IIa and IIb clinical trials.

These funds have also allowed it to launch the development of new products using the same platform.

For the Foundation, Precirix is yet another example of a project that illustrates its mission: helping researchers to become entrepreneurs and financing a development programme that delivers useful advances for patients and the medical community.