PRAMOMOLECULAR develops next-generation therapies by targeting disease mechanisms at the molecular level. With its proprietary RNA-based platform, the start-up is opening new treatment paths for diseases previously considered untreatable. Their work stands at the intersection of biotechnology and precision medicine with Berlin’s biotech ecosystem providing the ideal breeding ground for their pioneering innovations.
What inspired the founding of your company – and what personal story is behind your idea?
My father died of pancreatic cancer – nine months after being diagnosed. A cancer diagnosis is terrible news not only for the patient, but also for his family and his environment, because although there has been great progress in cancer diagnostics and therapy, many types of cancer are still not specifically treatable or the therapy is associated with severe side effects. As a molecular biologist in a team of other scientists and an experienced oncologist, we are developing cancer drugs with a new mode of action. In mice with cancer, we can show a significant reduction in tumor growth or even tumor shrinkage with good tolerability. We are now preparing to enter the clinical phase.
How would you describe your company’s philosophy – what drives your team and what is your long-term vision?
PRAMOMOLECULAR develops active substances that belong to the innovative class of siRNA therapeutics and that induce “Gene Silencing”. These can be used to downregulate disease-causing proteins: No disease-causing protein – no disease. In the long term, we want to develop a large number of new and efficient therapeutics against diseases with a high medical need. In addition to cancer, these include heart and infectious diseases. To this end, we are working together with international partners.
What makes your solution particularly innovative from a technical perspective – and where do you see its greatest societal impact?
Our technology utilizes transport molecules that are protected by international patent applications to carry out Gene Silencing in selected tissues particularly efficiently. Unlike others, our siRNAs do not need to be packaged in nanoparticles – not even to prevent immune reactions or to stabilize them. With automated synthesis, our in-silico design approach, and a sophisticated screening process, we aim to develop new active ingredients in half the time and at 10% of the previous costs. That means more innovative therapies in fewer time!
Why is Berlin the right place for you and what do you appreciate most about the local deep tech ecosystem – also with regard to their field of technology?
Disruptive drug development only works through collaboration with the best experts from around the world. At Campus Berlin-Buch, we have an outstanding research and development environment with important cooperation and development partners within walking distance. Almost everyone else comes to Berlin at least once a year – a city with a strong national and international pull. Berlin Partner provides us with intensive strategic support, the IBB with great funding programs and the Berliners, who attach great importance to the impact of companies, with idealistic support. If there were now enough venture capital or business angels on site to support us in acquiring equity, the location would be perfect for DeepTechs!
Which technological or societal developments do you currently find most exciting – and why?
I find anything that actually helps to solve significant problems extremely exciting. PRAMO gets to share the stage with many of these projects again and again. In the last six months, these have included:
- Reme-D from Cairo in Egypt, which develops and markets highly professional and internationally networked diagnostics that are stable even in hot climates, primarily for the African market.
- ActiTrexx from Mainz, which is already in the clinical phase and is developing therapies that target the cause of excessive immune reactions.
- MICROWAVE SOLUTIONS from Riehen in Switzerland, which manufactures systems for industrial applications to efficiently produce high-quality carbons from plastic waste rather than from crude oil or natural gas.
- Skyseed, which was also shortlisted for the Deep Tech Award and specializes in high-quality seed mixtures that help to reforest forests by sowing with drones.