From UM labs to Abivax: the incredible journey of the drug that aimed to conquer chronic intestinal diseases
The result of some 20 years of research, obefazimod could hit the pharmaceutical market within two years. Conceived by a researcher at the University of Montpellier and developed by the company Abivax, this anti-inflammatory treatment could bring relief to tens of millions of patients suffering from chronic intestinal diseases. It is a national and international success story, born out of the synergy between Montpellier-based research and an innovative company.
The method has been maturing in Professor Jamal Tazi's mind since 2002. Nearly 20 years and a dozen patents later, he is seeing the fruits of his research on the verge of resolving a major therapeutic impasse for nearly 40 million patients affected by ulcerative colitis in the Western world.
When the adventure began, Jamal Tazi was a professor at the University of Montpellier, and he set out to identify molecules capable of modulating splicing. The idea was to influence this essential cellular process of messenger RNA maturation, whose alterations are responsible for many human diseases (such as muscular dystrophy and progeria, for example). "At the time, there were no molecules that could intervene in this process, and government support was decisive: it was the first time that a national program had encouraged cooperation between biologists and chemists," he recalls.
This interdisciplinary approach, conducted in partnership with the Curie Institute, led to the isolation in 2004 of the first molecules capable of correcting splicing. A world first... But their usefulness in treating patients still had to be demonstrated. So the team quickly turned its attention to the AIDS virus, which hijacks the splicing machinery to replicate itself. This work led to the creation of Splicos (2009-2014), then Abivax ( founded in 2014), both financed by Truffle Capital and originating from a public-private cooperative laboratory involving the Montpellier Institute of Molecular Genetics (IGMM), the Curie Institute, and the University of Montpellier. "We had to synthesize and test more than forty new molecules per month," recalls the researcher.
Spectacular results
In 2014, they finally discovered the "holy grail." Named SPL464, then renamed ABX464, the famous molecule has a proven impact on the AIDS virus. But in this field, the market is already saturated. Jamal Tazi therefore decided to refocus his work on chronic inflammatory bowel diseases. In 2018, the results of the first clinical trials conducted on patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) were spectacular. "One of the first patients treated had to undergo a colon removal; four years later, he is still in complete remission," adds the researcher, winner of the CNRS Innovation Medal in 2017 and currently in the running for the prestigious Galien Prize.
Supported by the partnership and promotion department of the CNRS, a founding member of the University Innovation Cluster, the project is "a fine example of the success of a public-private partnership, " summarizes Etienne Schwob, director of the IGMM. "Until 2021, as part of our cooperative laboratory, 50% of the staff was funded by the CNRS and 50% by Abivax, representing 15 to 20 people depending on the period. Within our walls, the IGMM provided not only its premises but also its instruments and scientific knowledge. It is all of these elements together that have made the treatment a success," explains the director.
Published last July, the results of phase 3 clinical trials confirm the molecule's effectiveness. Administered at a dose of 50 mg once daily, the treatment, called obefazimod, achieved clinical remission in 16.4% of patients by the eighth week. That same evening, the announcement sent the markets into a frenzy, and Abivax raised more than $750 million in the United States in just a few hours, or nearly €600 million. This was a historic achievement in the world of French biotechnology.
Now in the "maintenance"phase, the famous drug could hit the market by 2027. It could then find new applications, particularly for patients with Crohn's disease.