Cure51 co-founders on changing cancer treatment
In this exclusive interview, they share insights into their mission to decode exceptional cancer survival cases, their innovative methodologies, and future plans to transform oncology.
Can you tell us more about the founding story of Cure51 and what inspired you to start this venture?
Cure51 was founded on the principle that the answers to some of our most challenging medical questions, particularly cancer, might already exist in the experiences of outlier patients, in other words, in the realm of nature. We have combined expertise in entrepreneurship, AI and biotech and this creates a unique synergy helping us build Cure51. We are on a mission to track, analyze, and understand these exceptional cases. The inspiring stories of patients who beat the odds drove us to delve deeper into what made their recoveries possible and bring their superbiology to all patients.
How did your backgrounds in AI and biotech contribute to the creation and mission of Cure51?
Nicolas already built and scaled a healthtech company, Qare. He comes with firsthand business building expertise in the sector, as well as an understanding of AI’s potential to analyze complex data patterns. Simon’s techbio background, notably through the advisory role he held at Owkin, the leading french-american AI biotech, and its crucial role in creating Resilience, a remote patient monitoring app in oncology, provided the necessary insights into biological processes and clinical research. Together, we created a platform that leverages AI to analyze the genetic, molecular, and clinical landscape of cancer survivors, aiming to uncover patterns and mechanisms that traditional research might overlook.
Vision and mission
Your statement, ‘Cancer is already a disease of the past, we are on a mission to show people why,’ is quite bold. Can you elaborate on what drives this confidence?
Our confidence stems from the extraordinary survivals documented in our database, which is already 1500+ patients strong, and growing everyday. Which outcome can be stronger than survival in a lethal disease setting ? Our challenge is to reverse engineer this unexpected clinical outcome. We have observed that some individuals, through a combination of unique molecular pathways and perhaps unknown, yet to be discovered, combinatorial biological variables, achieve miraculous remissions. We capture the necessary amount of multiomics and clinical data to rebuild this biology. We believe these cases hold the key to understanding how cancer can be effectively treated or managed. Our mission is to decode these instances and translate them into actionable treatments or preventive strategies.
What do you envision for the future of cancer treatment, and how do you see Cure51 contributing to this vision?
We envision a future where cancer treatment is personalized, highly effective, and minimally toxic, but most importantly, we see a new paradigm, where cancer is just another manageable chronic disease or a disease that can be radically cured. Cure51 aims to contribute by providing insights derived from our database of outlier survivors, leading to the development of new therapeutic strategies that are tailored to individual patient profiles. By understanding and replicating the conditions that led to these exceptional recoveries, we hope to make such outcomes common rather than rare.
Research and innovation
Can you explain the methodology behind tracking and analyzing the survival mechanisms of cancer survivors? What makes your approach unique?
What sets us apart is our focus on real-world data from survivors rather than purely theoretical models and hypotheses. Our methodology involves collecting detailed clinical, and multi-omics data from cancer survivors who have experienced exceptional outcomes; then applying advanced AI algorithms to identify patterns and correlations within this data; and validating these findings experimentally through collaboration with research institutions and clinical trials.
What specific technologies and AI models are you leveraging to analyze the survival data of these exceptional cancer survivors?
We utilize machine learning algorithms, particularly those designed for large-scale data analysis like systems biology-based deep learning and neural networks, to process and interpret the vast amount of data and find the right targets mimicking the clinical outcome of Survivors. Natural language processing (NLP) is employed to extract relevant information from medical records and available scientific knowledge.
How do you ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data collected from cancer survivors?
We ensure data accuracy by partnering with some of the world’s top medical institutions and employing rigorous data verification processes through our proprietary platform. Additionally, we maintain continuous communication with our contributors to update and validate the data regularly. Our AI models also include validation steps to cross-check findings against established medical knowledge. Finally, all multiomics data is generated in our own central lab with same methodologies, platforms, teams and sequencing partners to ensure homogeneity of molecular outputs.
Keynote at HLTH Amsterdam
What were the key takeaways from your keynote at HLTH Amsterdam, and how was it received by the audience?
You can’t beat the testimony of a survivor, and we had the privilege of bringing a Cure51 PDAC patient on stage, to testify about his miraculous remission and participation in our project. That truly brought the story to life for the audience, along with the voice of two medical investigators. The audience responded with enthusiasm and curiosity, particularly regarding the practical applications of our findings and the potential for collaboration.
Can you share any particularly memorable or impactful moments from your presentation at HLTH Amsterdam?
A memorable moment was when Jean. Luc Gonfond, a survivor, told his story: he has been in remission for over a decade after being given 6 months to live, with stage4 pancreatic cancer. This story highlighted the real-world impact of our research and elicited a strong emotional response from the audience, reinforcing the importance and urgency of our mission.
Major partnership and collaborations
You are about to announce a major partnership with a US oncology research center. Can you provide any details about this collaboration and its expected impact?**
While we cannot disclose all details at this time, like with the 50+ centers we work with worldwide, our partnership with this leading oncology research center will involve collaborative research, data sharing, and joint research aimed at validating our AI-derived insights. We expect this collaboration to accelerate the translation of our findings into clinical applications, potentially benefiting patients on a global scale.
How do you choose your partners and collaborators, and what qualities do you look for in them?
We look for partners who share our vision of innovative, patient-centered cancer treatment. Key qualities include a commitment to rigorous scientific research, openness to collaborative work, and a track record of clinical excellence. Our partnerships are built on mutual respect and a shared goal of advancing cancer treatment.
Database and research progress
Cure51 has a database of over 1500 cancer survivors who beat the odds. How did you manage to gather such a comprehensive dataset, and what are the most significant insights you’ve gained so far?
We built our dataset through partnerships with hospitals, cancer research institutes, and patient advocacy groups. By offering a platform where survivors can share their stories and data, we created a community of contributors. Significant insights include identifying common molecular markers and quality of life factors among survivors, which are being investigated further.
What challenges have you faced in building and maintaining this global database, and how have you overcome them?
Challenges include ensuring data accuracy, maintaining patient privacy, and integrating diverse data types. We address these through robust data validation protocols, strict adherence to privacy laws, and developing advanced data integration techniques. Continuous engagement with our contributors helps maintain the quality and relevance of the data.
Impact and future goals
What are the potential clinical applications of your research findings, and how soon do you think they could be integrated into mainstream cancer treatment?
Potential applications are all focused on novel drug discovery.
Our mission is to cure cancer and help all patients facing diagnosis of lethal tumors.
What milestones are you aiming to achieve in the next 5-10 years, and how do you plan to scale your operations globally?
In the next 5-10 years, we aim to expand our database to include tens of thousands of survivor profiles, expand to other tumor indications with high unmet medical needs, establish partnerships with more major cancer research centers worldwide, and develop AI-driven tools for clinical and translational research. Scaling operations globally involves building regional partnerships, investing in local infrastructure, and tailoring our approach to different healthcare systems.
Investor and funding perspective
Amol Sarva from LifeX mentioned that your approach challenges conventional wisdom. How have you managed to gain investor confidence for such a pioneering initiative?
We recently raised €15M in Seed funding led by Sofinnova. Our solid scientific foundation, the expertise of our team and our clinical network, and the potential for significant impact are all factors that played a role. By presenting compelling preliminary data and demonstrating a clear pathway to target discovery and clinical application, we have shown that our approach, while innovative, is grounded in rigorous research and has substantial potential for success.
Can you discuss the significance of your €15 million seed round, and how these funds will be allocated to further your mission?
The €15 million seed round is critical for scaling our operations, enhancing our AI capabilities, and expanding our database. Funds will be allocated towards research and development, data acquisition, biocomputational analysis and expanding our team to accelerate the translation of our findings into clinical practice.
Broader implications and societal impact
What broader implications does your research have for the medical community and society at large?
Our research has the potential to transform cancer treatment completely. For the medical community, it offers new insights into cancer biology and treatment strategies. For society, it brings hope for better outcomes and potentially a future where cancer is no longer a leading cause of death.
How do you envision the role of AI in revolutionizing healthcare, particularly in the field of oncology?
AI has the potential to revolutionize oncology by providing deeper insights from complex data, enabling personalized treatment plans, and predicting patient outcomes with greater accuracy. It can also streamline research processes, make new gene-disease associations, reduce costs, and ultimately improve patient care by making advanced treatments more accessible.
Personal reflections and advice
What have been the most rewarding and challenging aspects of your journey with Cure51 so far?
Cure51 is undeniably the quest of our lives. The most rewarding aspect is hearing from survivors and their families about how our work gives them hope. The greatest challenge has been navigating the regulatory and scientific hurdles to ensure our findings are robust and clinically applicable.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs and researchers looking to innovate at the intersection of AI and biotech?
Stay focused on the patient’s needs and the real-world application of your innovations. Collaborate across disciplines, as breakthroughs often occur at the intersection of different fields. Maintain a rigorous scientific approach and be prepared to iterate and refine your models continually.
Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers about Cure51, your mission, or your future plans?
We are deeply committed to making cancer a disease of the past. Our future plans include expanding our research to cover more types of cancer and integrating our findings into everyday clinical practice. We invite researchers, clinicians, and patients to join us on this journey.
How can interested parties, such as researchers, patients, or investors, get involved or support Cure51’s mission?
Interested parties can visit www.cure51.com to learn more about our initiatives and sign up for updates. Researchers and clinicians can collaborate with us through our partnership programs, and patients can come forth with their stories and data.
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