Welcome to MedXCell Science's trust capital
The University of Montpellier has officially approved the donation of shares by the Swiss group MedXCell, allowing it to acquire a stake in its Montpellier-based subsidiary MedXCell Science. Founded in 2018 by Laurent Zbinden to promote the work of the Institute of Regenerative Medicine and Biotherapy, it aims to make cell therapies for osteoarthritis accessible to all.
"It is quite rare for a university to acquire a direct stake in a company, and even rarer for this to happen as a result of a donation of shares. Personally, I can't think of any other examples," explains François Pierrot, Vice President for Innovation. While public-private partnerships involving the University are not uncommon, they are generally operated through Satt Axlr, a joint subsidiary of the University and the CNRS. MedXCell, for its part, has chosen to further strengthen its ties with the University Hospital and the University by literally offering each of them shares in its Montpellier-based subsidiary, MedXCell Science.
The UM board of directors voted in favor of the offer. "This company was founded here and is based on one of the CHU campuses, but that's not reason enough. We host around 30 start-ups, but that doesn't mean we invest in them," says François Pierrot. We went ahead with it because the financial terms of the deal are entirely favorable to the University, since it costs us nothing. But also, and above all, because the mission that this company has set itself is completely in line with the role and values of the UM, " emphasizes the vice president.
Cell therapies for everyone
Laurent Zbinden founded MedXCell in Switzerland in 2016. A self-taught entrepreneur, he claims to have "the most modest resume of anyone involved in the MedXCell adventure!" This CV did not prevent him from starting his first company at the age of 18, the prelude to a solid career as an entrepreneur far removed from the field of biotechnology. When he began to take an interest in this field, with the "intuition that important things could be achieved there, " Laurent Zbinden came across the work of Christian Jorgensen, director ofthe Institute of Regenerative Medicine and Biotherapies (UM, CHU, and Inserm), a specialist in cell therapies based on mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) applied to osteoarthritis, particularly knee osteoarthritis.
The two men met in 2015, and the entrepreneur quickly recognized the economic and human potential of this work. "At MedXCell, we believe that cell therapies will transform healthcare, and our goal is to produce these therapies on a large scale in order to reduce their cost and make them accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford them," explains Laurent Zbinden. The idea of setting up a MedXCell subsidiary in Montpellier to promote the work of the IRMB and benefit patients took root in the minds of the two men, who soon shared it with the CEO of Montpellier University Hospital, Thomas Le Ludec. The hospital and the start-up joined forces in 2018 to found MedXCell Science.
Local presence
Fifteen people have been recruited by the company, which is joining the Cyborg biotechnology incubator based at the Gui de Chauliac-Saint-Eloi campus of Montpellier University Hospital. "It was essential for us to be located as close as possible to the IRMB by creating a separate legal entity with the University Hospital," explains Lionel Brodard, MedXCell's Chief Financial Officer. The collaboration with François Pierrot and the University of Montpellier quickly became a natural fit, as we all get along so well. " So much so that in 2020, MedXCell founded a second company, MedXCell NKar, with the aim this time of "promoting the research work of another entity within the IRMB that is working on cellular immunotherapy," explains the CFO. "We are going to grow in Montpellier," promises Laurent Zbinden. "Within two years, there will be around 50 of us on the site, where we also plan to expand our facilities."
Consolidation actions
On the scientific side, the work of Christian Jorgensen and his associates, John de Vos and Danièle Noël, continues to fuel hopes. "It's still in the clinical phase, so we have to be careful what we say, but mesenchymal stromal cells seem to have a beneficial effect in reducing pain, improving mobility, and slowing the progression of knee osteoarthritis," says Lionel Brodard.
The future looks bright for the Montpellier teams, and Laurent Zinden wanted to consolidate this by opening up his capital to his two trusted partners through this donation of shares. "It really made sense for the University to come on board, alongside the University Hospital. There is a genuine public-private partnership, and this collaboration is the perfect example of that. This partnership gives us enormous visibility and demonstrates the strength of the science behind MedXCell. It's a real pact of trust to create something that will change the world!"