La Tronche, France-based Synthelis was able obtain initial financing amounting to €610,000 from French investors. The group of investors included Rhone-Alpes Creation, Alpes Developpement Durable Investissement (A2D-Invest), Sud Rhone-Alpes Capital, Viaduc and the Savoy and Grenoble Business Angels networks, according to a statement from the company.
Synthelis describes itself as a firm that focuses in "the production and characterization of therapeutic targets and antigens." The biomolecules produced by the company can then be utilized to develop new drugs and vaccines, to screen for candidate drugs and develop antibodies, among others. Synthelis was established in January 2011 by Bruno Tillier and Professor Jean-Luc Lenormand of the TIMC-TheREx laboratory at the Universite Joseph Fourier in Grenoble, France.
Proceeds of the initial financing round will be used to hasten the development of toll manufacturing services for membrane proteins which will be utilized by the research and development departments of companies operating in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. The money will also allow Synthelis to combine and grow its functional and structural characterization services, the statement said.
Synthelis CEO Bruno Tillier commented about the funding, "This investment is an important step for Synthelis, allowing us to strengthen our team of scientists and invest in essential new equipment to optimize production and enhance our services. Synthelis can now accelerate its commercial development, both in France and internationally."
Synthelis has a patented technology that facilitates the acellular production of membrane proteins together with liposomes which preserves the molecules' structure, natural properties and transportability. Before, reproducing sufficient quantities of natural membrane proteins faithfully was a challenge but Synthelis technology has taken out this major impediment of bio-production, the statement said.
Synthelis has produced more than 50 membrane proteins in just two years. These proteins were part of over 20 projects the company has done together with pharmaceutical organizations renown around the world. The company said they have exhibited a success rate of more than 90% for protein expression in all the work they had done so far.
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