Celebrated last week at the CaixaForum center for culture in Barcelona, the Fundación Internacional Dona Emprenedora (FIDEM) officially announced this year’s recipients of its annual prizes that honor exceptional examples of pioneering entrepreneurship led by women. Now in its 22nd edition, this recognition also applauds those companies and initiatives that spur economic development and promote societal enrichment.
Among the eight worthy winners, who were each selected from a short list of five nominees/companies per category, VHIO’s Laura Soucek, Principal Investigator of our Mouse Models of Cancer Therapies Group was prized under Innovation for her research centered on translating Omomyc-based therapy into clinical application, which subsequently led to the creation of a VHIO-born spin-off, Peptomyc S.L*, back in 2014.
This Company was co-founded by Laura –who also serves as its Chief Executive Officer- in partnership with Marie-Eve Beaulieu, Chief Scientific Officer of Peptomyc and formerly a Postdoc of Laura’s group. Building on the successes of their preclinical research, and showing mounting promise as novel therapeutic approach against several tumor types, Peptomyc’s drug development efforts have also recently led to the proven efficacy of Omomyc as a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP)**.
Commenting for VHIO Communications, Laura Soucek said, “On behalf of all of us at Peptomyc, I am truly honored to have received this prize. Such recognition shines an important light on the increasing leadership and contributions of women as entrepreneurs across several economic and social sectors. I take this opportunity to gratefully thank FIDEM, as well as ”la Caixa” as a supporter of these Awards, for their belief in-and backing of- these worthy endeavors.”
###
References:
**Beaulieu ME, Jauset T, Massó-Vallés D, Martínez-Martín S, Rahl P, Maltais L, Zacarias-Fluck MF, Casacuberta-Serra S, Serrano Del Pozo E, Fiore C, Foradada L, Cano VC, Sánchez-Hervás M, Guenther M, Romero Sanz E, Oteo M, Tremblay C, Martín G, Letourneau D, Montagne M, Morcillo Alonso MÁ, Whitfield JR, Lavigne P, Soucek L. Intrinsic cell-penetrating activity propels Omomyc from proof of concept to viable anti-Myc therapy. Sci Transl Med. 2019 Mar 20;11(484). doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.aar5012.
