{"id":65060,"date":"2016-07-31T08:00:41","date_gmt":"2016-07-31T06:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/e52.nl\/?p=65060"},"modified":"2016-07-31T08:00:41","modified_gmt":"2016-07-31T06:00:41","slug":"gerard-anton-awards-g-therapeutics-a-therapy-for-patients-with-spinal-cord-injuries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ioplus.nl\/archive\/en\/gerard-anton-awards-g-therapeutics-a-therapy-for-patients-with-spinal-cord-injuries\/","title":{"rendered":"Gerard & Anton Awards: G-Therapeutics, a therapy for patients with spinal cord injuries"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ten\u00a0startups from Eindhoven have been honoured with\u00a0the Gerard and Anton Award 2016. The jury of the awards\u00a0thinks these ten have all it takes to follow\u00a0the footsteps of Gerard and Anton Philips who, 125 years ago, formed the first truly successful startup in the region. Every day we highlight one of those startups. Today: G-Therapeutics.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Here are all ten\u00a0winners<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s everything on the Gerard & Anton Awards<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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Helping people with spinal cord injuries to be able to walk again, that’s the ultimate goal of G-therapeutics. Sjaak Deckers’ new startup is taking steps in the right direction, but still has a long way to go. The partially Eindhoven-based company is developing a therapy electrodes deployed in the spinal cord, combined with intensive physiotherapy and a new medical rehabilitation platform. The first results of experiments on animals are “promising”, the first human patients will be treated later this year.<\/p>\n

For the top 10 Startup to watch E52 visited\u00a0G-Therapeutics on the High Tech Campus.<\/p>\n

The Jury:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Sjaak Deckers did not sit back after his success with Sapiens. He started a new company to tackle another major medical problem, helping paraplegics to learn to walk again.<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"G-Therapeutics<\/a>
G-Therapeutics bij de uitreiking van de Gerard & Anton Awards<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The original idea comes from the Swiss Professor Gr\u00e9goire Courtine, who did\u00a0more than 15 years of research at the Technical University of Lausanne (EPFL) into possible treatments for people with spinal cord injuries. Deckers: “After the sale of Sapiens I wanted something new, and\u00a0investors introduced me at\u00a0Gr\u00e9goire. He was struggling for two years to build a company that could bring this therapy to market. I was impressed by the amount of knowledge that he and\u00a0his team have. We decided to put together a solution: combine the medical knowledge of Gr\u00e9goire with my years of experience in setting up healthcare startups. I knew what was needed: investors with a long breath, because\u00a0something as complex as this will\u00a0not be on the market within five years or so.”<\/p>\n

Focus?<\/strong>
\nAt present, G-Therapeutics focuses on people with incomplete spinal cord injury. “This means that a part of the nerve channel is still intact. The implant is placed\u00a0in the spinal cord and stimulates an area of \u200b\u200bthe spinal cord that controls the muscles. Combined with intensive physical therapy on a daily basis\u00a0it seems possible\u00a0to stimulate the remaining nerves to form new offshoots. These new nerve channels\u00a0restore the contact with the brains, making people regain control over their muscles.”<\/p>\n

During the treatment, a computerized platform supports the weight of the patient during the workout. “We have a prototype in Switzerland, but we will work together with another European company to develop an improved version, which they will\u00a0bring to market themselves.” Meanwhile, G-therapeutics is aiming at a huge milestone. If all goes well, Courtine and his team will treat the first human patients later this year at the\u00a0University Hospital of Lausanne. Deckers is careful with his\u00a0promises, because he knows that a lot of the development is still uncertain.<\/p>\n

“It will be very exciting. For us, but especially for the patients. So far, they have learned to accept that they will probably never walk again. We don’t want to give these people any false hope, or the illusion\u00a0that with electrodes on their spinal cord they will suddenly be completely healthy. Please don’t raise the expectations too high. But having said that, we envision a clear improvement in the quality of life. People with spinal cord injury may also have\u00a0all kinds of other problems. Such as problems with digestion, bedsores, incontinence and decreased resistance. We hope that with our therapy these patients also experience\u00a0improvements in these areas.”<\/p>\n

Lausanne and Eindhoven?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"GTherapeutics<\/a>
Sjaak Deckers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Deckers calls G-Therapeutics a truly European company<\/em>, with the business management and development facilities in Eindhoven and the clinical and scientific section in Lausanne. “We now have six different nationalities in our team. It is nice that talent comes from everywhere to work for us. In the Netherlands, the business climate is very favorable with good subsidies for innovation and access to good product developers. In Switzerland we have\u00a0the team of scientists who begin the study. In both countries, there is an extensive network of clinical labs that\u00a0we have contact with. We combine the best of both countries”, Deckers says.<\/p>\n

He glances through his room and then points to the screen on the wall: “The distance still makes it difficult sometimes, so that’s why we have this big screen on the wall. We keep in\u00a0close contact and keep each other informed. The relationship with the Technical University in Lausanne remains important. The academic vision of Gr\u00e9goire reaches twenty years ahead. For G-Therapeutics it’s crucial that we can come up with some\u00a0good patents, that’s why we focus entirely on the first product. That’s because we want to help patients in their daily lives much earlier than that, preferably within five years already. As CEO it’s my task to keep this vision for the team: develop products that significantly improve the lives of these patients. Basically my job is very simple; I have to take care of money and a clear and realistic vision so ultimately everyone wants to work one hundred percent for this goal. If this is settled, good people want to participate.”<\/p>\n