Villejuif, 14th march 2023

Gustave Roussy is launching Orakl, start-up aiming to improve and accelerate pharmaceutical research in oncology

Gustave Roussy and its tech transfer affiliate, Gustave Roussy Transfert, announce the creation of their spin-off company Orakl. Orakl leverages a collection of patient tumor avatars that combines biology and clinical data to fuel the therapeutic arsenal to fight cancer. In partnership with oncology players, this company will identify relevant targets, validate potential treatments in the lab and deliver new drugs, faster.

Orakl is an innovative startup created by three scientists: Fanny Jaulin, head of the Collective Invasion team at Gustave Roussy and leader of the RHU ORGANOMIC program, Gustave Ronteix, an engineer and researcher specializing in quantitative biology and immuno-oncology, and Diane-Laure Pagès, an engineer and researcher specializing in cancer biology. Gustave Roussy Transfert, given its position of co-founder, reflects the strong support of Gustave Roussy for this entrepreneurial venture.

Orakl owns and develop a unique collection of tumor avatars. These bridge biological component, with cell-cultures from the patient's tumor and a digital component, containing all the data from the clinical environment. This collection captures cancer complexity and heterogeneity, enabling the company to provide unique results on drug-candidates effectiveness or target relevance. By leveraging both biological and digital data Orakl aim at increasing clinical trial success rate and accelerate patient access to innovative therapies.

Spreading new technology beyond the lab

Orakl stems from academic research performed in Fanny Jaulin INSERM lab at Gustave Roussy. With the company, the patient avatar technology can be accessible beyond the academic environment. "Through the creation of the Orakl, our goal is to spread-out innovation to impact cancer patients at large" emphasizes Fanny Jaulin, CEO of the spin-off.

The creation of the company also highlights the entrepreneurial ambition of the Gustave Roussy Institute in the frame of the IHU-B Prism. "The creation of Orakl is an essential milestone in the support for entrepreneurship provided by Gustave Roussy through its subsidiary Gustave Roussy Transfert. The know-how developed by Orakl should ultimately accelerate the development of new drug candidates in oncology, and, in the long run, offer cancer patients increasingly personalized therapeutic approaches" says Christophe Javaud, COO of Gustave Roussy Transfert.

By leveraging this know-how, the spin-off will connect many oncology stakeholders to accelerate the development of new therapies that will increase the size of the therapeutic arsenal at the clinicians’ disposal. It will be supported by the Paris-Saclay Cancer Cluster ecosystem.

As early as 2022, Orakl was awarded the Matwin "Best Translational Innovation" 2022 and the French tech “best innovative Start-up”. It was also selected by Agoranov, the Sciences and Tech incubator in Paris, to benefit from personalized support. The young spin-off just won the Golden Ticket Competition organized by Sanofi and Biolabs to foster the development of promising compagnies.

A first round of financing is planned before the summer of 2023.

More information  : orakl-oncology.com