09 Oct Interview David Segarra – CEO and Co-Founder of aptaTargets
David Segarra: “ApToll is an immune modulator to treat ischaemic stroke in the acute phase. We have successfully completed Phase 2a and will soon conduct Phase 2b. We are also testing ApToll for other indications”.
David Segarra, an aptamer technology entrepreneur, co-founded aptaTargets in 2014 and has led the company to bring ApTOLL to the clinic. Previously, he was co-founder and CEO of Aptus Biotech, an aptamer platform focused on therapeutic and diagnostic applications from which aptaTargets emerged as a spin-out. David was co-founder and CEO of Igen, innovation strategy advisor for several medical institutions, associate consultant at the international management consulting firm Arthur D. Little and project manager at Acciona. David holds an MBA from IESE Business School and the University of California Berkeley, a specialisation programme in Business Biotechnology and a Master’s degree in Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Barcelona (UPC).
AptaTargets is currently developing ApTOLL, an immune modulator to treat ischaemic stroke in the acute phase, which has been shown in Phase 2a to substantially reduce brain damage. What stage of development is the product currently at?
In 2022, we successfully completed the first trial in acute ischaemic stroke, the APRIL trial with 151 patients. We are currently planning three new clinical trials: APRIL II, a Phase 2b trial in the same population we tested in Phase 2a; RACETOLL, a trial to administer ApTOLL in ambulances to patients with suspected stroke; and APSTEMI, to administer ApTOLL to myocardial infarction patients.
In what other indications besides ischaemic stroke are you testing apTOLL and what stage of development is it at?
As I mentioned earlier, we are planning to test ApTOLL in other indications also related to stroke, and here we have the RACETOLL study, a trial to administer ApTOLL in ambulances to patients with suspected stroke, which also includes haemorrhagic stroke, for example. And in a completely different indication such as acute myocardial infarction (APSTEMI trial). And although we are not yet developing plans for this, multiple sclerosis is also another possibility, as ApTOLL has demonstrated a neuroprotective effect in this indication, as can be seen in a recent publication.
Has there been any added difficulty in the constitution of the company aptaTargets being a spin-out of Aptus Biotech, which in turn is a spin-off of the Hospital Ramón y Cajal?
Setting up and launching technology start-ups is always a major challenge, especially in the field of biotechnology and even more so in the development of new drugs. In addition to securing funding in successive stages, each of which is a challenge in itself, it is a highly regulated field with very strict regulations, leading to long development times.
What advice or lessons learned would you say today to the David Segarra of 2014 when aptaTargets started?
Although I consider myself lucky with what I have been given, I would have a lot of advice. But I’ll save them for a book.
What role do you think biomedical consulting companies, such as GENESIS Biomed, play in the emergence and consolidation of start-ups/spin-offs?
Josep Lluís Falcó helped us a lot in the initial stages of launching aptaTargets. It was an important time when we were assessing the scope of what we wanted to do, and how to do it. GENESIS Biomed contributed a lot to the small team we had at the time, helping us in business development activities and in convincing specialised investors.