Integra Therapeutics
Integra Therapeutics is a biotechnology company that is creating next-generation gene writing tools to make advanced therapies safer and more effective. The company was founded in 2020 as a spin-off of Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) by Dr Marc Güell and Dr Avencia Sánchez-Mejías and is based at the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB).
Integra Therapeutics’ lead technology, named FiCAT, is designed to solve the current limitations of gene therapy (gene size, precision, and stability). FiCAT combines RNA-guided nucleases and engineered piggyBac transposase (cut-and-transfer module), allowing to program the precise insertion of small and large fragments of DNA into the genome. PiggyBac functional domains are engineered to provide increased on-target integration while reducing off-targets events. FiCAT can be used for in vivo and ex vivo therapies. It has the potential to tackle prevention and treatment of a wide range of genetic and oncological diseases.
More information: integra-tx.com
Team member information
CEO & Co-Founder of Integra Therapeutics. PhD in Molecular Biology and Master in Biomedical Research from the University of Seville. She has had a solid career in clinical genetics, molecular oncology and synthetic biology in several countries, including Spain, the United States and Singapore. In 2018, she joined the Translational Synthetic Biology Lab at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) in Barcelona. In recent years, she has focused on transferring the knowledge generated in the institution to society through her entrepreneurial project, Integra Therapeutics. In 2022, she received Women and Leadership Award promoted by Deusto Business School, Cinco Días and Banco Santander.
CSO & Co-Founder of Integra Therapeutics. PhD in Biomedicine from Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) and degree in Chemical and Telecommunications engineering from IQS. After doing his doctorate research at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), in 2011 he joined the Harvard University Wyss Institute in Boston, led by Professor George Church. In 2017, he returned to Barcelona to join the UPF as a tenure-track professor and to lead the Translational Synthetic Biology Lab. In 2022, he has won the National Research Award for Young People awarded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation in Spain. He is the author of articles with more than 11,000 citations and patents that have been the basis of three biotech companies.
Project & Business Development Manager of Integra Therapeutics. PhD in Biomedical Sciences from KU Leuven and degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the Universidade de Coimbra. He brings us a decade of experience as an academic researcher in neurodegenerative disease, stem cell and cancer biology at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden, Uniklinik Köln, Germany, and KU Leuven and as Investment Analyst at Gilde Healthcare and Andera Partners.