Marseille, France, October 22, 2025. Massalia Therapeutics, a biotechnology spin-off from the C2VN Institute (Cardiovascular and Nutrition Research Center), today announces that the company has been selected as a winner of the national i-Lab 2025 competition under the France 2030 initiative. This award, which comes with a €300’000 grant which will accelerate the development of its lead and pipeline programs against treatment-resistant and aggressive cancers.
Massalia is a pre-clinical stage biotechnology company developing a sole-in-class therapeutic platform at the interface of fibrosis, neoplasm and neovascularization. The company was co-founded by Landmark BioVentures and based on over 20 years of foundational research from co-founders and scientific leaders from INSERM and C2VN Institute to advance a pipeline of novel therapeutics specifically and selectively targeting the soluble angiogenic neoplastic and fibrotic (SANF) factor, which has been identified as critically important to the pathogenesis of cancers. SANF offers a sole-in-class therapeutic paradigm as a novel molecular node at the interface of angiogenesis, neoplasm and fibrosis. The company’s lead programs leverage this mechanism to:
- inhibit pathologic neovascularization that fuels tumour growth and fibrotic progression,
- reverse fibrotic tissue remodeling by modulating the extracellular matrix and cellular activation, and
- overcome resistance to current cancer therapies by re-engaging the microenvironment in the therapeutic response.
By targeting this unique mechanism, a single therapeutic agent has the potential to address multiple linked disease processes — offering a sole-in-class treatment opportunity for patients for whom currently available treatment options are insufficient.
With this i-Lab award, Massalia will be able to achieve key development milestones towards advancing the lead program into first-in-human clinical trials.
“Winning the i-Lab 2025 competition is a strong endorsement of our science and our vision to transform how we treat fibrosis- and neovascularization-driven diseases,” said Gary Brandam, CEO and co-founder of Massalia Therapeutics. “This recognition from France 2030 validates the disruptive nature of our SANF-targeting platform. The funding will enable us to accelerate our preclinical development and move quickly into the clinic, with the ultimate goal of delivering first-in-class therapies for patients facing aggressive and recurrent Glioblatoma.”
About Massalia Therapeutics
Massalia Therapeutics is a preclinical-stage biotechnology company developing a sole-in-class therapeutic platform at the interface of fibrosis, neoplasm and neovascularization. Based on 20 years of cutting-edge and exclusive academic research and translational validation, the company is dedicated to advancing novel therapies for patients with complex and interconnected diseases. Co-created by Landmark BioVentures and SATT Sud-Est, Massalia Therapeutics is a spin-off from the C2VN Institute. The company’s platform leverages this strong clinical background, combining deep insights into the molecular mechanisms driving fibrosis, neoplasm and neovascularization and the targeting of the SANF (Soluble Angiogenic Neoplastic and Fibrotic) factor. Massalia Therapeutics is poised to advance a pipeline of first-in-class therapies that address unmet medical needs in these challenging disease areas.
www.massalia-tx.com or LinkedIn
About Landmark BioVentures
Landmark BioVentures is an integrative corporate and drug development company using resources smartly to advance multiple innovative therapies. Anchored by foundational science, LBV uncovers hidden gems with unrealized therapeutic potential by connecting non-obvious dots and taking a strategically-focused active hands-on approach with each nexus company. Led by a seasoned multidisciplinary team of drug developers, entrepreneurs and deal makers, LBV harnesses its specialized and industry-relevant drug development expertise and opportunistic and creative deal-making in resource-constrained environments to streamline drug development, focusing on holistic value creation and capture.