PK MED, a French biotechnology company founded by Truffle Capital (founder of Abivax and Carvolix), developing therapeutic micro-implants to address major medical needs, today announces a significant strengthening of its governance. The company is strengthening the structure of its Board of Directors and Scientific Advisory Board to support the upcoming Phase 2 entry of its most advanced drug candidate, ARTHRELIS (treatment of gout flares), and to accelerate the preclinical development of ENGRAFTIS (treatment of poor graft function following bone marrow transplantation).

The Board of Directors of PK MED welcomes four key new members:

  • François Romaneix, appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors. Senior Partner at Truffle Capital, former CEO of the French National Authority for Health (HAS), and former Deputy CEO of the Institut Pasteur, he brings his strategic vision for market access and healthcare corporate governance.

  • Isabelle Buckle, PhD, Board Member. With more than three decades of international leadership experience in life sciences (Bruker, Life Technologies), she served since 2014 as Executive Vice President for Technology Transfer and Industrial Partnerships at the Institut Pasteur, where she spearheaded the innovation and technology transfer strategy.

  • Pr. Philippe Leboulch, MD, Board Member. A physician-scientist and pioneer in gene therapy, he is a faculty member at Harvard Medical School and Professor of Medicine at Université Paris-Saclay. He is the co-founder of bluebird bio/Genetix Biotherapeutics, a major player in the development of gene therapies; at its peak, the company reached a valuation of nearly $10 billion (2018). Prof. Leboulch played a pioneering role in the design and clinical validation of the first gene therapies. He brings unique expertise in the development of innovative therapies to PK MED.

  • Tom Tice, PhD, Board Member. Senior Director, Global Strategic and Technical Marketing at Evonik Corporation, he is internationally recognized for his expertise in complex parenteral drug delivery, particularly sustained-release formulations based on bioabsorbable polymers.

The Board of Directors is composed of: François Romaneix (Chairman of the Board), Isabelle Buckle, PhD, Prof. Daniel Hayoz, MD, Prof. Karine Lacombe, MD, Prof. Philippe Leboulch, MD, Dr. Philippe Pouletty, MD, Co-founder and CEO of Truffle Capital, founder of Abivax, Carvolix and PK MED, and Tom Tice, PhD.

PK MED’s Scientific Advisory Board welcomes two major medical figures:

  • Prof. Alain Fischer, MD, PhD, Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board. Internationally renowned immunologist, gene therapy pioneer, Professor at the Collège de France, and former President of the French Academy of Sciences, Prof. Fischer provides key support and unique expertise, particularly on the ENGRAFTIS program. Prof. Philippe Leboulch, MD, new member of the Scientific Advisory Board. He joins the committee alongside his role on the Board of Directors.

The Scientific Advisory Board is composed of: Prof. Alain Fischer, MD, PhD (Chairman), Prof. Marie-Christophe Boissier, MD, PhD, Prof. Daniel Hayoz, MD, Prof. Philippe Leboulch, MD, Prof. Geraldine McCarthy, MD, Prof. Tuhina Neogi, MD, PhD, and Prof. Tristan Pascart, MD, PhD.

These appointments come during a period of acceleration for PK MED, backed by robust intellectual property and a differentiating local drug delivery approach for its two flagship projects:

  1. ARTHRELIS (Refractory Gout Flare): Regulatory discussions with the FDA have paved the way for a direct entry into Phase 2 and validated the clinical trial protocol. PK MED is actively preparing the IND (Investigational New Drug Application) filing and trial initiation, aiming for Phase 2 clinical results and a strategic licensing or M&A deal by 2028.

  2. ENGRAFTIS (Bone Marrow Transplantation): This first-in-class project (an artificial bone marrow niche designed to treat graft dysfunction) has validated its initial in vitro and in vivo proofs of concept. The company’s goal is to consolidate preclinical development toward potential strategic partnerships by 2027.

François Romaneix, Chairman of the Board of Directors of PK MED, states: “I am honored to join the Board of Directors of PK MED as Chairman, especially at a time when, in addition to the members already serving on the Board and the Scientific Advisory Board, we are welcoming such eminent figures from the healthcare, biotechnology, and medical research sectors into our governance bodies. Their complementary expertise in clinical and industrial development, drug delivery, and gene therapy are major assets that will support ARTHRELIS’s upcoming entry into a Phase 2 trial and accelerate the development of ENGRAFTIS.”

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About PK MED

PK MED is a French biotechnology company founded in 2019 by Truffle Capital, Business Builder and European leader in BioMedTech (founder of Abivax and Carvolix). PK MED develops injectable micro-implants for local drug delivery and cell homing.

Through its proprietary expertise and technical know-how, PK MED transforms established active ingredients into patented local therapies designed to maximize efficacy and safety by concentrating drug release directly at the targeted tissue while minimizing systemic exposure. PK MED has built a preclinical pipeline addressing major unmet medical needs, starting with gout flares (ARTHRELIS) and bone marrow transplantation (ENGRAFTIS).

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