About us

  • DiogenX is a preclinical stage biotech company committed to a single mission: to discover and develop innovative biologics as new therapeutics options for millions of Diabetic patients around the world.
  • Our lead program originating from Dr Patrick Collombat’s laboratory is based on a new approach targeting beta-cell failure through the stimulation of functional beta-cell recovery in diabetes.
  • This novel mode of action will provide a unique solution to rebalance glucose/insulin homeostasis and thus offer clear clinically meaningful benefits.
  • Headquartered in Marseille, with labs in Nice (France)


We incorporated DiogenX with the objective to provide new therapeutic solutions for diabetic patients. With Patrick and the team, we are focused upon developing our first off-the-shelf drug candidate to regenerate pancreatic beta-cells.

Benjamin CHARLES
CEO

463

 

million adults
(20 -79 years old) have diabetes globally
(1 in 11 person) (1)
x3

 

Adults living with diabetes has more than tripled over the past 20 years (1)
18

 

millions people live with Type I Diabetes globally (2)
20%

 

of T1D patients in the US experience one or more severe hypoglycemic events annually
(3)
90bn

 

USD worldwide annual T1D cost burden
(2)
Sources :
1) IDF Diabetes Atlas Ninth edition 2019
2) https://t1dfund.org/modeling-the-total-economic-value-of-novel-type-1-diabetes-therapeutic-concepts/
3) McCrimmon, R.J. and R.S. Sherwin, Hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes. Diabetes, 2010. 59(10): p. 2333-2339.; Frier, B.M., The incidence and impact of hypoglycemia in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. International Diabetes Monitor, 2009. 21(6): p. 210-218.

Diabetes

Both forms of diabetes eventually result in β-cell failure and chronic hyperglycaemia:

  • Type 1 diabetes (T1D) corresponds to an autoimmune disorder wherein the β-cells are selectively destroyed;
  • Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is caused either by a loss of function of the β-cells or a resistance to insulin action in the peripheral target tissues (liver, muscle, adipose, etc.).

The goal of diabetes therapies is to maintain a normal blood glucose level and reduce cardiovascular risk factors.

While current therapeutic approaches for T1D (insulin supplementation, islet transplantation) save lives, cardiovascular complications often impact the overall life expectancy of diabetic patients, and alter quality of life.

Adapted from C J Diabetes (2008);
32(suppl1): S1-201

Our Approach

Our lead drug candidate is a novel recombinant protein, intended to regenerate functional pancreatic islets and to slow down the progression towards beta-cell failure.

The company leverages the know-how and expertise from the laboratory of Dr Patrick Collombat (Inserm, CNRS, Nice University) on pancreatic beta-cell and a large network of experts, from preclinical to clinical, covering notably protein engineering, diabetes pharmacology and translational research.

Despite currently available therapies, a still intolerable number of diabetic patients develop severe complications over time. Our goal is to restore an endogenous production of insulin, and thus an improved glycemic control for these patients.

Dr Patrick COLLOMBAT
Scientific Founder

Strategic committee

Glyn PARKIN
Chairman of the Board

Benjamin CHARLES
CEO, co-founder

Jean Pascal TRANIÉ
Co-founder

Matthieu COUTET
Managing Partner

Johannes ZANZINGER
Investment Director

Katie ELLIAS
Managing Director


It is ninety-nine years since Leonard Thompson became the first person with Type1 Diabetes Mellitus to be injected with insulin. His life was saved, and to this day around the globe, for millions of people with T1DM life is maintained with exogenous insulin. The challenge of averting a very early death had been met, and a new challenge emerged, to avoid the microvascular complications associated with higher blood sugar levels while also avoiding the dangers of hypoglycaemia, blood sugars that are too low. At DiogenX the team are excited by and committed to the mission of restoring endogenous insulin function and taking the Type 1 diabetes community off this complex tightrope between competing dangers in their daily lives.

Glyn PARKIN
Chairman of the Board

Advisors

Klaus DUGI
Chairman of DiogenX SAB. Venture Partner & Chief Medical Advisor at ND Capital

Philip Just LARSEN
Member of DiogenX SAB. SVP, Global Head of Research & Early Development, Bayer Pharmaceuticals

Diogenx_white_resize

DiogenX is a preclinical stage biotech company committed to a single mission: to discover and develop innovative biologics as new therapeutics options for millions of Diabetic patients around the world.

Headoffice

180 avenue du Prado
13008 Marseille

Institut de Biologie Valrose

Parc Valrose – Centre de Biochimie
06108 Nice cedex 2
France