Oncoethix SA is a private Swiss company that was founded in 2007 by Esteban Cvitkovic, MD, Kay Noel, PhD, Yves Paternot, and Patrice Herait, MD (all former associates at Cvitkovic & Associes Consultants SA) to develop a portfolio of 3 to 5 promising new drugs for cancer treatment. The company intends to develop its compounds through clinical proof of concept and the identification of an expedited registration strategy, after which pharmaceutical partners will be sought to fund pivotal trials and handle commercialization.
Oncoethix founders have an unsurpassed track record in identifying and bringing oncology leads to global markets. Dr. Cvitkovic, Chief Scientific Officer for Oncoethix, led the clinical development of single agent and combination regimens for cisplatin, vindesine, bleomycin, navelbine, and, more recently, irinotecan, oxaliplatin, docetaxel, and trabectedin, first as an academic investigator and then through a specialized oncology clinical research organization. Prior to founding Oncoethix and assuming responsibilities as Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Noel had co-founded another oncology drug development company which in-licensed oxaliplatin as its first portfolio product and subsequently identified, evaluated, and in-licensed novel agents for several clients. Additionally, Dr. Noel has developed expedited registration strategies for many cancer drugs and registration files for a few of these. Dr. Herait managed clinical development of irinotecan, from Phase 1 through Phase 3, while at Rhone Poulenc Rorer and subsequently, as a consultant, managed clinical studies for several novel cancer drugs.
Since its founding, Oncoethix has in-licensed three promising cancer drug candidates, each a first-in-class agent to a novel target or with a novel mode of action. Currently, two portfolio compounds are in clinical development.
Oncoethix was launched with an initial financing of 1.30 million Swiss francs from the founders to finance portfolio development. In December 2009, the company closed a Series A financing of 3.7 million Swiss francs with leading venture capital firms Index Ventures and Endeavour Vision.