A rapid test to prescribe the most effective antibiotic

700,000 people die every year from antibiotic resistance. In the absence of stronger global measures, this figure could rise to 10 million by 2050.

Excessive use of antimicrobials is the main cause of the emergence of drug-resistant bacteria. This resistance can lead to more serious infections, longer hospital stays and higher medical costs.

Nanosynex, a start-up based in Israel and supported by Quest for health, aims to address this major problem with its rapid tests that will enable the right antibiotic to be prescribed to the right patient. Diane Abensur, CEO and co-founder, talks to us about her project and gives us some valuable advice on entrepreneurship.

Can you tell us about Nanosynex and how it came about?
The idea for Nanosynex came from Prof. Levenberg, Dean of the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Technion Institute of Technology – Israel’s leading biotech institute – who came up with the idea of a microfluidic platform designed to detect antibiotic resistance phenomena, making it possible to better diagnose and prevent certain resistance phenomena that would prevent effective treatment.

My partner Michelle Heymann and I met during our MBA course, and we were looking to get involved in a medical project that made sense. We met the Dean of the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, who presented us with her idea. We were quickly won over by the project and wanted to transform the POC (proof of concept) into a mature product ready for the market. The three of us joined forces to create the company in 2017. The three of us have different but complementary profiles: Pr. Levenberg brings the scientific expertise, Michelle brings the marketing expertise and I bring the business expertise.

Today, we’re developing a personalised diagnostic test that can check bacterial resistance to antibiotics in record time.
The aim? Prescribe the most appropriate treatment for a patient suffering from a bacterial infection more quickly.

Can you give us a concrete example of how this innovation will have an impact on patients?
Let’s take the example of urinary tract infections, which affect 1 in 2 women in their lifetime. In most cases, they are treated with a broad-spectrum antibiotic, which may prove ineffective on a given patient. This can lead to the development of antibiotic resistance, which can progress to pyelonephritis (kidney infection) and require hospitalisation. In hospital, the patient will receive a more suitable antibiotic, but it will take between 48 and 72 hours for the tests to be carried out, which is still too long.

Nanosynex offers a test that can determine the most appropriate antibiotic treatment for a patient in less than 5 hours. To do this, the test analyses the growth of bacteria in contact with different antibiotics from patient samples (urine, saliva, blood). Our test can be used to treat any bacterial infection.

Nanosynex is based in Israel. Why set up in the Grand Est region of France and choose Quest for health?
Industrialisation, compliance with regulatory standards, approval by regulatory bodies and production are all carried out in Europe. As France is the leading country in microbiology, we quickly chose this country, and more specifically the Grand Est region, because we benefit from the support of Biosynex, a family business based in Illkirch (67), which provides us with logistical support and can handle the distribution of our products.

We also need support on strategic issues, including fundraising, finding the right partners for production and clinical trials, and internationalisation. The expertise of Guillaume Vetter-Genoud, Director of Quest for health, is invaluable to us because he has had this entrepreneurial experience himself, which enables him to give us the best possible guidance and has put us in touch with quality microbiology department directors. This expertise is not found everywhere in France.

What are you most proud of?
What I’m most proud of is having succeeded in creating a multidisciplinary team of 15 people. The success of any project depends first and foremost on its team. Choosing the right team, finding complementary profiles and growing the team internally are all essential.

The profiles we were looking for were very specific because they crossed three disciplines. Today we have an international team made up of eight nationalities with perfect parity. Each member of staff brings his or her bi-national and technical expertise, which is very enriching for the team as a whole.

Any tips on recruitment?
Internal recommendations are the key to a close-knit team. The best dynamic is to recruit the former employees of your colleagues or those recommended by professional contacts. This strategy has enabled us to create a great synergy within the team. Don’t underestimate the power of recruiting from within and encourage employees to post vacancies on their Linkedin pages. That will have more impact than headhunters.

What are the main challenges facing Nanosynex?

Nanosynex’s first challenge was to transfer technology efficiently and in the best possible way for the company. It was no mean feat to take on a pool of patents and obtain the commercial rights to them. We were helped at this stage by mentors – mainly researchers from the University – who had been through the process.

The second challenge was funding: how do you find finance for a start-up without a prototype? Raising SEED or Series A funding is very complicated in the medical sector. You have to try and find business angels and investors who are interested in the subject and believe in it, because it’s difficult to present all the guarantees at the start.
In the healthcare sector, financing is central to the pursuit of a project because of the greater need for equipment, the longer development period and the regulatory aspects to be taken into account.

Finally, the last challenge: how do you build the right team with the right profiles to fulfil every aspect of our technology? We have managed to surround ourselves with people who are open-minded enough to combine all these aspects. In our industry, we call this bioconvergence.

What are the next steps for Nanosynex?
The next step is to market the first generation of our test, which will enable rapid and accurate screening in the laboratory.
We are already working on the second generation of our product, and in the near future we want to test samples directly in the patient’s foot.

Any advice for entrepreneurs just starting out?
Surround yourself with mentors and advisers in all areas: scientific, legal, financial and communications/marketing. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, even if they seem stupid. You shouldn’t be ashamed to ask questions, because entrepreneurs aren’t supposed to master every field, but they should be able to talk to lawyers, investors and scientists. And you have to know how to knock on every door.