When I met Guillaume Brachet, CXS Therapeutics did not exist. Having suffered Parkinson's disease at the age of 28, he found himself, like 2.3 million patients in the world, with symptomatic treatment on his arms. Which for him had a taste of defeat. What to do? Work to seek victory on the side of the first etiological treatment. That treats the causes, not just the symptoms. A revolutionary treatment.
I am going to tell you here, in 4 episodes, this crazy story that led from the creation of CXS to the second ongoing fundraiser.
It all starts with a challenge against the current: go up the Loire by kayak. The protagonist: Guillaume Brachet, who is fighting against Parkinson's disease and who is working, with a team, on the first etiological treatment. Place of sharing: LinkedIn. That immediately resonates with me. I would like to be useful to the project and inform him about it.
Four weeks later: response in favor of an exchange. At that point, Guillaume has several choices : put your provisional diploma in the hands of an association/a foundation/a large laboratory... or set up a company. I am giving him some insight and waiting for him to decide on this crucial point.
Some time later, at the end of a day, in view of the fit, the shared objectives, and a quick analysis of the options mentioned above, it seems clear that we are going to set up a business together... And so CXS Therapeutics was born.. Before continuing the story, I suggest you make a first “stop to know”.
As a first step, I Value the Power of Discovery from CXS Therapeutics. What do we have in our hands? What are the strengths, weaknesses, and question marks?
Obviously, the deep motivation of Guillaume and his (my future) associates are struggling in the balance, as well as their ability to measure what they hold. I also quickly understand that Guillaume has a very scientific approach to the subject, hope, perspective, strong creativity, and Knows how to make the connection between concepts and people.
Scientifically, we are clearly at the crossroads of the known and the unknown. Knowledge of repositioned molecules is important, but considering them in a different approach, driven by other mechanisms of action in a new therapeutic era, nevertheless raises a number of questions.
From there on, Identify and infer weak signals It is the crucial point. We don't know everything, we don't complete the process completely, but we see these weak signals converging, that we are going to Explore with 2 approaches : check the main brakes (the “warnings”) and move forward on the path.
It is therefore necessary to accept a part of the unknown, which is reduced as progress is made.
As long as the flags are green, we move forward. On Find out where the “no-goes” are, the red flags, in short. A bit like water changes direction when it encounters an obstacle.
Drug repositioning is in CXS's original proposal. Guillaume arrives with CXS001 and CXS002, Two Known and Used Drugs.
In the ocean of Biotech, Drug Repositioning is an unfrequented sea and very beautiful. There is little risk of a storm, the map being already established... What you need to understand is that this Scientific approach is much less risky Than the classical process of creating molecules for two major reasons:
For its part, a classic molecule sets off on an adventure without anyone having ever made the journey.
Apart from Knowing
We can create intellectual property on molecules that are already on the market. There is a real “science” of the subject. Its implementation is possible or impossible, depending on the case.
For CXS003, this is of course possible. And this is one of the criteria that is challenged very early in the process. Not patentable = not recoverable = no subsidiary...
Here: All flags are green.
Then came the moment when I insisted on operating as a platform = CXS Therapeutics was going to become a Platform for repositioning in diseases of the central nervous system. With the aim of improving and enriching the process of discovering new leads, based on Guillaume's pragmatic experience.
So, as you will have understood, CXS001 and CXS002 would only be (!) The First Hits from This Platform. The idea is to give yourself the means to bounce back, if they are not the right ones (with resilience). Also to enrich and to go further immediately, by projecting ourselves over the long term, with increased ambition.
Important: all this was done without making any mistakes. By using available resources and also by projecting a promising structure for the next 10/15 years. Hence the creation of a separate entity, SAPPIENS, which will assume the role of general public visibility.
Today, September 6, the date on which I am writing these lines, CXS is in the process of File 2 New Patents In another pathology of the central nervous system. The platform is even more effective than expected, and gives potentially “game changer” results, including on Pathologies outside the central nervous system, and in particular we have a rare disease.
Once we have read the above, we say to ourselves: bank and highway. However, the reality is more nuanced. My doubts are always those of the scientist: in what has already been explored: no red flag. But until the path to the patient for CX003 (new version of advancements) is complete, there may be some.
This is why continuing to look for new hits - including about Parkinson's disease - gives time to bounce back if necessary.
The subject of valuation/fundraising/cash is always essential. As we have seen, CXS is very well committed, but in this area, there is no certainty or comfort. However, the project clearly embodies a vector of progress for health.
As well as a nice example of EDT:
Very specific knowledge of a field;
Not necessarily accurate and complete on all skills;
Powerful Motivation That Won't Stop at the First Gust of Wind;
Clear and calm in his relationship with money;
Techno with multiple potential and, on the one hand, certainly underestimated;
Concrete use cases allowing valuation in the short term.
For Valeureux, CXS represents a unique case because the involvement goes beyond funding.
Even with a project so well advanced, where the green flags line up one after the other, we absolutely must Avoid minimizing the risk and the unknowns that are still present. This would be a lack of lucidity that would be very harmful to the project.
Doubting and being aware of the risk must accompany us. No risk, no big rewards.
Advancing partly in known lands and partly in unknown lands is an unchanging constant in any EDT project. And the unknown is not always negative...
Because We May Be Opening A new silk road.
CXS/SAPPIENS is a well-advanced, extremely ambitious project, with the aim of creating the first etiological/neuroprotective (and therefore revolutionary) treatment for Parkinson's disease... and that's not all, as you may have read. Potential colossal impact in the crosshairs. So if you want to embark on this crazy adventure, This is where it happens.
And to read Letter 2 on CXS Therapeutics, click here
