Axoltis Pharma welcomes Jean-Guillaume Lafay as member of Supervisory Board 

Serial entrepreneur in biotech, Mr. Lafay’s decades of experience, his vision and network will bolster Axoltis’ strategic corporate development 

Clermont-Ferrand and Lyon, France, July 9, 2024 – Axoltis Pharma, a French biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapeutic solutions for neurodegenerative diseases, today announces the appointment of Jean-Guillaume Lafay as a member of its Supervisory Board. 

“Axoltis is delighted to welcome Jean-Guillaume Lafay to our Supervisory Board. His stellar track record in biotech and success as an entrepreneur will greatly strengthen our ambition and our vision,” said Dr. Yann Godfrin, CEO of Axoltis. “Combining his talent with our experience will also reinforce our strategic direction and ability to achieve key milestones.”  

A philanthropist and entrepreneur, Mr. Lafay is the former CEO and co-founder of Mablink Bioscience, a developer of Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADC), sold to Eli Lilly in 2023. He currently serves as chairman and founder of private equity firm Norfoalk, and chairman and founder of Dictamen, a recently launched endowment fund. 

“Axoltis is a pioneering company, reaching clinical phase II development. Its innovative approach in recovering Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) integrity in patients with neurodegenerative diseases is very promising. I am pleased to help the company move forward in its corporate development,” said Jean-Guillaume Lafay.

Mr. Lafay joins Axoltis following the company’s recent authorization to launch its SEALS study, a phase II clinical trial of drug candidate NX210c in patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Axoltis’ NX210c is a short-peptide drug candidate, with a clear head start in clinical development, able to restore the BBB function, which is impaired at the early stages in neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS. Restoring the BBB could be a gamechanger in the course of treating neurodegenerative diseases. 

SEALS is a phase II clinical trial for ALS patients with the drug candidate NX210c. Its primary objective is to assess the effect of NX210c via two markers: Neurofilament Light chain (NfL) concentration in the blood, as a diagnostic and prognostic of axonal damage relevant to ALS, as well as Qalb, the ratio of albumin concentration between CerebroSpinal Fluid (CSF) and blood, which has long been a reliable biomarker of BBB integrity. The study will also evaluate the effect of NX210c on functional outcomes and select secondary biomarkers. The first results are expected by early 2026.

A Phase Ib trial, a multiple ascending dose of NX210c in elderly healthy volunteers, conducted in 2023, confirmed a good safety profile and significant promising pharmacological effects related to BBB integrity biomarkers.  

About Axoltis Pharma

Axoltis Pharma, a French biopharma company, develops innovative drugs for neurodegenerative and neurotraumatic diseases with a high unmet medical need. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, with offices in Lyon, (France), Axoltis has established several partnerships with internationally recognized academic and private labs to develop its lead product, NX210c. The team is highly experienced in drug development, especially for neurological applications.

www.axoltis.com