About us
ILONOV is a preclinical stage biopharmaceutical company, spin off of the European Diabetes Study Center (CeeD), dedicated to developing first-in-class biotherapies against diabetes and metabolic diseases, harvesting the breakthrough potential of the muscle secretome to regulate metabolism, a novel and unexplored approach.
Pipeline
Our goal is to alleviate the burden of daily diabetes management and eliminate severe complications like renal failure, which causes patients to endure expensive and debilitating treatments and reduces their life expectancy.
Type 1 Diabetes
We aim at achieving the first functional cure for T1D by enhancing beta cell replacement therapies (pancreatic islet or stem cell transplant). Our innovation is a unique combination of pre- and post-transplant treatments based on ILV-001, ensuring better islet survival at every step of the transplant, limiting graft rejection and enhancing its potency in the long term.
Type 2 Diabetes
We aim at stopping the progression of T2D by achieving a post-exercice state in patients thanks to our biotherapy, preventing the onset of diabetic complications. Importantly, our asset is capable of restoring insulin sensitivity of peripheral tissues and protects insulin-secreting cells from chronic inflammation and decline in the long term.
References
[1] Bouzakri et al. Diabetes 2003
[2] Bouzakri et al. Diabetes 2011
[3] Rutti et al. 2014, Rutti et al. 2018
Our Science
Harnessing the power of the muscle secretome for therapy
The muscle secretome
The muscle is not solely an effector responsible for our bodies’ movements. It is an endocrine organ playing a major role in maintaining a healthy metabolic balance. Following exercise, it releases to the blood stream a multitude of hormones acting in a systemic manner throughout the body, communicating with other organs.
Therapeutic potential of myokines
We are leveraging the potential of those hormones, naturally secreted by the muscles, called myokines, for therapeutic purposes, as by mimicking exercise they are capable of restoring metabolic balance. In our Proof of concept studies, we have characterized one of those hormones, ILV-001, which is a major player in the endocrine signalling of the post-exercise state, directly linking physical activity and metabolic control.
ILV-001 shows strong cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory properties, thus protecting insulin-secreting islets and, in parallel, enhancing their potency through the stimulation of insulin secretion.
Founding team
Advisory board
Clinics
Prof. Laurence KESSLER, MD-PhD
Strasbourg University Hospital
Head of Clinic
Reference centre for rare insulin secretation and insulin sentivity diseases - PRISIS
Prof. Rohit KULKARNI, MD-PhD
Harvard University_Harvard Stem Cell Institute
Joslin Diabetes Center
Prof. Anne WOJTUSCISZYN, MD-PhD
Lausanne University Hospital
Head of Cell Therapy for Diabetes Laboratory
Prof. Ariane SULTAN, MD-PhD
Montpellier University Hospital
Nutrition and Diabetes
Industry
Dr Rosy ELOY, MD-PhD
Adocia
Clinical Development Expert
Hubert MECHAIN
BrainEver
Biopharmaceutical Development Expert
Ricardo CAMISASCA, MD-PhD
Myovant Sciences
R&D Director
