EIC Tech to Market Venture Building Programme: EIC beneficiary TAONas-LUAD reaches Opportunities’ Exploration phase

Brussels, October 27th 2023

Summary

›TAONas-LUAD, an EIC Transition beneficiary, has completed the Opportunities Exploration phase of the EIC Tech to Market Venture Building Programme.
›The project develops an antisense oligonucleotide therapy for lung adenocarcinoma and has preclinical evidence in vitro and in four mouse models.
›Experts in the programme helped the team identify rate limiting steps for IP, team building and venture creation and recommended an accelerated exit from the academic lab.
›TAONas-LUAD is entering the Team Creation phase and plans to launch a spin-off, AON-THERAPEUTICS, to drive clinical translation.
›Key commercialization hurdles remain, including drug delivery to lung tissue, regulatory and manufacturing work, and securing private investment.

TAONas-LUAD advances in EIC Tech to Market Venture Building Programme

TAONas-LUAD, an EIC Transition project developing an RNA based therapy for lung adenocarcinoma, has just finished the Opportunities Exploration phase, the second stage of the EIC Tech to Market Venture Building Programme. The project coordinator, Juan Valcarcel Juarez, described the phase as a moment to obtain an external, market oriented read on technical feasibility, team needs and business potential. The team is now moving into the Team Creation phase where missing expertise will be recruited ahead of planned spin off activities.

What TAONas-LUAD is developing

TAONas-LUAD is pursuing a first in class therapy based on antisense oligonucleotides. The approach aims to reduce proliferation of lung cancer cells. According to the team, the lead compound has shown activity in vitro and in four different mouse models of lung cancer. The project scope includes optimisation of the compound and its delivery system and exploration of indications where the therapy could be most useful.

Antisense oligonucleotides explained:Antisense oligonucleotides are short, synthetic strands of nucleic acid designed to bind specific RNA sequences. By binding to target RNA they can modify splicing, trigger degradation, or block protein production. This modality has produced approved drugs in certain areas such as rare genetic diseases and liver disorders. However translating antisense therapies to solid tumors, and specifically to lung tissue, raises additional challenges of efficient and safe delivery, off target effects, stability and scaled manufacturing.

Why TAONas-LUAD thinks its approach is differentiated:The team asserts two principal advantages. First, the target genetic lesion is present in a large fraction of lung tumours, which could make the therapy applicable to many patients rather than a small molecularly defined subgroup. Second, the mechanism targets a genetic alteration associated with proliferating cells and therefore may spare differentiated normal cells, which could reduce unwanted effects. These claims are promising but depend on continued validation in relevant human tissue models and clinical trials.

Project background and funding

The coordinator, Juan Valcarcel Juarez, leads the work under an EIC Transition Open grant. He traces the research back to an ERC Advanced grant called MASCP and an ERC Proof of Concept project called VALSL, awarded in 2015 and 2017 respectively. Those earlier grants supported the fundamental discoveries and early translation that underpin the current Transition project. The team has signalled intent to create a spin off called AON-THERAPEUTICS to carry development towards clinical trials and market entry.

What the Opportunities Exploration phase delivered

In the Opportunities Exploration phase, external experts assess technical feasibility, team readiness and commercial potential. Valcarcel described the principal benefit as an outside, market oriented perspective that raised critical questions and clarified the real rate limiting steps. Experts reportedly provided focused recommendations on milestones for team creation, IP protection, venture building and other topics.

Participant view on expert input:Valcarcel said the experts offered refreshing and thought provoking perspectives. Their guidance helped the team prioritise milestones and recognise the need to move the project out of the academic lab sooner rather than later. That insight prompted the decision to pursue formal spin off routes and to recruit new profiles that complement the core science team.

The EIC Tech to Market Venture Building Programme in context

The EIC Tech to Market Venture Building Programme is an EIC Business Acceleration Service intended to accelerate market readiness of projects funded under EIC Pathfinder and EIC Transition. It structures support into stages from initial technology showcase to venture creation and advisory services. The programme offers access to expert review, entrepreneur in residence coaching, tailored recruitment services and specialist advisory on domains such as IP, regulatory strategy and finance.

Programme phase	Purpose	What TAONas-LUAD experienced
Tech Demo Days	Initial thematic workshops and market feedback	Entry point to the programme
Opportunities Exploration	Expert evaluation of feasibility across technical, team and business axes	Completed, experts clarified rate limiting steps and focus areas
Team Creation	Recruitment services, entrepreneurs in residence and talent brokerage	Now starting, team will identify missing expertise for spin off
Venture Support Services	Advisory on IP, finance, HR, regulatory and needs analysis	Planned next stage to support venture formation and de risking

It is relevant that the EIC Tech to Market Programme was paused and slated to resume activities in 2026 according to EIC communications. That pause affects new onboarding and some service windows. Projects already in the pipeline, like TAONas-LUAD, continue to move through the stages they were accepted into.

Commercialisation pathway and planned spin off

TAONas-LUAD plans to establish a spin off named AON-THERAPEUTICS that will drive clinical development. The immediate objective is to position the new company to attract investment and to complete the non clinical and manufacturing work needed for first in human trials. The team seeks maximum support from the programme to be in the best possible position when launching the spin off.

Typical steps between lab discovery and early clinical trials:Key steps include optimisation of the lead compound and its delivery vehicle, establishing scalable manufacturing under GMP conditions, carrying out regulatory compliant toxicology and safety studies, preparing an IND or equivalent dossier, and securing early stage financing. Each step requires specific expertise, funding and time. For nucleic acid therapeutics, formulation and biodistribution studies are often critical and can become major cost and technical hurdles.

Challenges and risks to watch

The scientific rationale given by TAONas-LUAD is plausible, but several common translational risks remain. Delivery of antisense oligonucleotides to lung tumours in humans is more difficult than in mouse models. Off target effects and immune activation can emerge only in later stage studies. Protecting intellectual property and showing clear differentiation from competing therapies will be important to attract investors. Regulatory pathways for oligonucleotide therapies in oncology are evolving and may require careful engagement with authorities early on.

Competitive landscape note:Lung adenocarcinoma treatment is an active area with targeted small molecule drugs, monoclonal antibodies and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Oligonucleotide therapeutics would enter a crowded and capital intensive field. To secure a viable market position, a new therapy must offer reproducible efficacy, an acceptable safety profile and a clear pathway to regulatory approval that compares favorably with existing standard of care.

Why this matters for EU innovation policy

Projects like TAONas-LUAD are precisely the sort of translational initiatives that EU funding instruments aim to move out of academia and into companies that can run clinical programmes. EIC Transition grants are intended to de risk technologies enough to make them investible. Venture building services add non technical support such as team formation and IP strategy which are often the Achilles heel of academic spin offs. The outcome will help test whether the combination of Transition funding and acceleration services successfully bridges the so called valley of death in European life sciences.

What to watch next

Key near term milestones include the composition of the new team in the Team Creation phase, formal establishment of the planned spin off AON-THERAPEUTICS, completion of optimisation and delivery work, and the generation of regulatory grade safety data. Observers should look for independent data supporting lung delivery and safety, patent filings and a credible funding plan that shows investor interest beyond grant funding.

TAONas-LUAD illustrates the potential value of structured market oriented support for academic projects. The Opportunity Exploration phase delivered specific, external critiques and recommendations that influenced the team's decision to pursue a formal exit from the lab. Whether this leads to a successful clinical developer will depend on technical progress, execution on non scientific milestones and the ability to attract the needed capital and regulatory support.

Further information and help

For those interested in the EIC Tech to Market Programme, the EIC Community provides information on programme components, open calls for experts and entrepreneurs in residence and contact points. Specific help for programme participants is available via the EIC Community helpdesk, which lists the EIC T2M Venture Building Programme as a selectable subject.

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