DOPPL citizen-led precision medicine gets FIT support

At the heart of Doppl is “the biobase”, a global, crowd-sourced biobank of biological samples with a database of associated biological data. This powerful data is harnessed from organoids - small lab-grown mini-organs from living patients. Relying on this data, Doppl can then validate genetic and health data predictions patient by patient. With this approach to personalised medicine, Doppl wants to break new ground in healthcare.

The start-up builds its biobase by empowering patients to participate in citizen-led medical research: in practice, patients undergo a unique Bionoid test from which Doppl can produce organoids and collect biological data. Citizen donors benefit from the studies they support whilst always retaining control over their personal data. Recognised by hospitals, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, Doppl delivers organoid models to enable personalised medicine for pharmaceutical development and clinical application.

The start-up spun-out of SUN Bioscience (a company also supported by FIT) is currently negotiating an exclusive contract to perform its IP-protected Bionoid test with various oncology departments. Doppl has validated the bionoid test in the Clinics for Cystic Fibrosis (an inherited disorder that causes severe damage to the lungs, digestive system and other organs in the body), and in January 2022, the start-up proved with a first cystic fibrosis patient that the Bionoid test can be used to identify a working treatment health insurance can reimburse. Ultimately, the treatment was proven to work on the patients. In addition, the start-up has a licence agreement with the EPFL since April 2022, covering three patents for the organoid testing (Bionoid test) and the organoid culture recipes.

With the FIT Tech Seed loan, Doppl will expand its proof points for Cystic Fibrosis from one patient to eleven patients to strengthen its position and convince the CHUV to employ Bionoid tests for all patients suffering from Cystic Fibrosis. Furthermore, with the previous experience of SUN Bioscience, the two co-founders Sylke Hoehnel and Nathalie Brandenberg aim to replicate their success story and raise CHF 15 million.

(Press release / ES)