Brief CV: Molecular Biologist PhD by training, with 10 years of classic academic research experience, joined the “dark side of the force” in 1998 as R&D project manager for the pharmaceutical industry. In 2001 became CEO of Advancell, the first biomedical spinoff from the University of Barcelona, and since then has been involved as executive, entrepreneur or investor in more than 15 companies created to facilitate the transition between academic biomedical research and the market. As CEO has raised more that 40M€ in different early stage companies to advance to clinical stage more that 10 projects derived from academic research. Is author in more than 30 peer reviewed papers (Medline Keyword Ruiz-Avila L), several books on the biomedical business and 6 patents.
It participates regularly as speaker in tech transfer, Science management of entrepreneurship masters or seminars, and teaches biomedical business as associate professor in the biomedicine grade and Director of the Master in in Universitat Internacional de Catalunya. Currently serves as CEO for Leukos Biotech, an spinoff from the Institut Josep Carreras for Leukemia Research developing a first-in-class product for cancer, and as executive President of Aquilon Cyl SL, a veterinarian Spinoff from the University of Leon focused on biological products to increase animal productivity alternative to antibiotics. He also sits in the board and acts as business angel, advisor or mentor of several early stage Biotech companies.
Abstract: In 2014 the research group led by Dr. Ruth Risueño, then at Institut Josep Carreras, discovered that chemotherapy resistant and stem leukemia cells over-express serotonin receptor 1B (HTR1B) and that its expression was correlated with bad clinical outcomes. The potential target was validated by loss and gain of function experiments and also pharmacologically, using tool compounds known to be active to the receptor in the CNS, clinical samples and a wide variety of cell lines and mice models. In 2019 Leukos started a drug discovery program based on an existing unspecific potent HTR1B antagonist. Patentability-driven, rationale design, classic pharmacological hit and lead selection, and tumor-specific lead optimization led to a short list of potential preclinical candidates that showed class-effect in animal models. The final nominated candidate, LB208, started regulatory preclinical development in november 2020. Upon succesful completion of manufacturing process optimization and scaling up and of the safety-tox basic package in rats and dogs the program was partially licensed-out to the austrian company AOP-Health. Leukos obtained regulatory approval for phase Ib/II dose finding plus extension trial in June 2024 in collaboration with VHIO and AOP-Health, and partial financial support from CDTI by means of the CPP 2021 call.
