Exofasttrack

EXOFASTTRACK is a collaborative project focused on accelerating the development of multiple therapeutic exosomes for a rapid clinical evaluation. To this end, the consortium brings together the specific expertise of 9 partners.

Mainly isolated from stem cells known for their regenerative and anti-inflammatory properties, exosomes are considered to be the next generation of cell therapy and ATMPs. The main function of exosomes is to act as intercellular messengers. Therapeutic exosomes are based on very large-scale reproduction (several billion copies) of an intercellular message specific to the producing cells (e.g. stem cells) in the lab. In addition, it is possible to modify the “therapeutic message” by loading a therapeutic agent specific to the targeted disease (“loading”), substantially enhancing their field of application.

The consortium aims to encourage the development of innovative therapies for indications for which there is no curative treatment. By developing innovative technological processes enabling large-scale production and loading of exosomes, the production costs per dose for the patient will be proportionately reduced, as will the impact on social security budgets. This will promote accessibility and availability to a wider public at an affordable price. The pooling of resources and access to technological platforms will reduce investment costs for each of the therapeutic partners and enable them to focus on preclinical activities to accelerate the start of a clinical phase.

The development of new automated technologies for both the production and loading of exosomes is based on a ‘low footprint’ approach, with the aim of significantly reducing the surface area required to implement these processes, as well as cutting energy consumption and reducing the impact in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.