Aptadel comprise the first generation of companies accelerated at the BCN Health Booster, an initiative promoted by the University of Barcelona (UB), Barcelona Science Park (PCB) and the Barcelona City Council, with support from Barcelona Activa and collaboration from Biocat. The project was created under the Barcelona Science Plan and is an example of collaboration and consensus among public centres, companies, universities and administrations to promote innovation in health and bring a return on investment in research to society.

Eleven innovative companies with high social impact are taking part in a new business-growth programme and will have subsidised access to the new PCB laboratory for three years under the new BCN Health Booster accelerator.

In choosing the participating companies, the expert panel valued highly those with the best chances of technical and financial viability, an experienced founding team and a chance to impact society, prioritising spin-offs from research centres, hospitals and universities.

Aptadel Therapeutics is a preclinical company co-founded by IDIBELL focused on developing a new platform for targeted therapy against cancer. This platform consists of nanoparticles loaded with therapeutic agents, such as RNA molecules or chemotherapeutic drugs, targeted to different tumors. This strategy permits the release of the therapeutics agents only where is needed, thus avoid side effects and improve therapy effectiveness.

The Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) is a biomedical research center created in 2004. It is participated by the Bellvitge University Hospital and the Viladecans Hospital of the Catalan Institute of Health, the Catalan Institute of Oncology, the University of Barcelona and the City Council of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat.

IDIBELL is a member of the Campus of International Excellence of the University of Barcelona HUBc and is part of the CERCA institution of the Generalitat de Catalunya. In 2009 it became one of the first five Spanish research centers accredited as a health research institute by the Carlos III Health Institute. In addition, it is part of the “HR Excellence in Research” program of the European Union and is a member of EATRIS and REGIC. Since 2018, IDIBELL has been an Accredited Center of the AECC Scientific Foundation (FCAECC).

Piece adapted from PCB (link)