A united team creating an innovative therapy to give a new vision to patients.
About us
Roca Therapeutics is a VC financed biotechnology start-up dedicated to the development of First In Class Small molecules.
Located in Nice (France), Roca Therapeutics is a spin-off from Nice University and SATT Sud Est, incubated by the PACA-Est incubator.
Roca has an internationally recognized team of Directors and Advisors with a strong track record of Translational Research and Drug Development in Oncology, Ophtalmology and Immunology.
Directors
with recognized track record and well established collaborations
Dr Roberto De Ponti
Director Board Member
Managing Director and General
Partner of 3B FUTURE Health Fund
30+ years of experience as senior director in pharmaceutical companies
Dr Gilles Pagès
Director Board Member
DR1 INSERM
IRCAN - UCA, Monaco
30+ years experience in oncology R&D and translational research
Dr Maeva Dufies
CEO - Director Board Member
CR2 CNRS
IRCAN - UCA, Nice, France
10+ years of experience in Oncology R&D
and translational research
Dr Rachid Benhida
Director Board Member
DR1 CNRS
ICN - UCA, Nice, France
30+ years of experience in drug R&D and biotech
Dr Cyril Ronco
Director Board Member
Maître de Conférences HDR
ICN - UCA, Nice, France
15+ years of experience in Medicinal Chemistry and drug R&D
Mr Zaki Sellam
Chairman of the Board of Directors
MSc - MBA, Basel, Switzerland
20+ years in drug development in oncology-immunology, creation and financing of biotech start-ups
Advisory Board
Dr Lauris Gastaud
Oncologist
Centre Antoine Lacassagne
Nice, France
Specialist in uveal melanoma
Dr Sergio Roman Roman
Research Director
Institut Curie
Paris, France
Specialist in uveal melanoma
Dr Olivier Loget
CEO and Chairman
CapEval Pharma
Archamps, France
Specialist in toxicology, clinical ophthalmology and biotech
Pr Stéphanie Baillif
Head of department of Ophthalmology
CHU de Nice, France
Specialist in eye diseases including uveal melanoma
Roca is building a dedicated Advisory Board allowing an approach against UM from biology to cancer and ocular complications
Dr Arnaud Jacquel
Researcher
Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire, Nice, France
Specialist in onco-hematology
and innate immunity
Dr Patrick Auberger
Research Director
Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire, Nice, France
Specialist in onco-hematology and innate immunity
Dr Andréas Bikfalvi
Research Director
Inserm - ACML
Bordeaux, France
Specialist in physiological and pathological angiogenesis
Science & Pipeline
Science
The historical investigators i.e Dr Gilles Pagès, Dr Maeva Dufies, Dr Cyril Ronco and Dr Rachid Benhida have combined their expertise for the last 10 years in Medicinal Chemistry and Oncology/Immunology Translational research to build a promising portfolio of patent protected First In Class molecules able to address exacerbated/resistant mechanisms of angiogenesis, chronic immunosuppressive inflammation in the context of neoplastic and neovascular disorders.
Roca Therapeutics approach is to be a holistic disease driven company addressing not only Uveal melanoma from a cancer treatment perspective but also addressing its severely impairing neovascular glaucoma resulting from proton-therapy.
Aware of the promising potential around its portfolio, Roca is also evaluating other neoplastic and neovascular disorders as secondary indications.
Pipeline
Programs
Lead optimisation
IND enabling studies
Clinical
Goal
Metastasic Uveal Melanoma
RCT001
Treatment of primary and metastatic form of Uveal Melanoma
Treatment and prevention of the neovascular comp-lications after proton therapy such as glau-coma and retinopathy
Neovascular Complications
RCT002
News & Events
Awards / Investments
2020
2022
Incubation
Secured Lead investor 3B FUTURE Health Fund
Global exclusive licence
FrenchTech Emergence
Competitivity pole
Investment
Cancéropole PACA
funding
Innovation Award
Innovation Award
Incorporation
PIA3
Award
Roca Therapeutics is surrounded by several local and national strategic partners: IRCAN, ICN, Centre Antoine Lacassagne, CNRS, University Côte d’Azur, SATT Sud-Est, Canceropole PACA, Incubator Paca-Est, Eurobiomed, …
Roca Therapeutics has been rewarded by recognized prizes: i-Lab, bpifrance BFTE, PIA3, Amgen Prize, …
Roca Therapeutics is founded by a lead corporate VC and has been backed by several non-dilutive financings.
In October 2022, Roca Therapeutics completes seed funding round.
Partners
Contact
Stay In Touch
www.roca-therapeutics.org
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