Awakening Caspase-2: Revitalizing the Cure for Dementia & Metabolic Diseases

IPCURE was awarded third prize in the Life Science – Venture Stage category at the Summer 2026 VENTURE Forum USA (online). The distinction recognises the company’s presentation of its selective caspase-2 inhibitor programme and development strategy for dementia. The event brought IPCURE together with investors and other emerging life sciences companies.

IPCURE welcomes Joël Crouzet, PhD, to its Strategic Board. A biotech entrepreneur with experience in building and leading innovative life sciences companies, he brings a valuable industry perspective to IPCURE’s next stage of development. His contribution will support the company’s strategic planning, business development and preparation for future financing milestones.

IPCURE has completed its initial seed financing with a further investment from IX-LIFE Capital. This continued backing strengthens the company’s resources as it advances its selective caspase-2 inhibitor programme through preclinical development. It also extends the relationship established when IX-LIFE Capital first invested in IPCURE in 2023.

IPCURE was selected among the Top 100 startups worldwide at the 2025 Entrepreneurship World Cup (Gen Global), held during BIBAN in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This international recognition gave the company an opportunity to present its therapeutic approach to dementia and engage with entrepreneurs, investors and innovation partners from around the world.

IPCURE announces the commercial launch of Casp2i™, its genuinely selective caspase-2 inhibitor for Research Use Only (RUO). Designed to help researchers investigate caspase-2 function across biological systems, Casp2i™ supports target validation and mechanistic studies. The inhibitor is supplied with quality-control documentation, selectivity data and experimental guidance. It is intended exclusively for research and is not for diagnostic or clinical use.

IPCURE was selected as a Top Innovator and invited to present at Venture Summit West, held on 2–3 April 2025 at the Computer History Museum in Silicon Valley, California. Organised by youngStartup Ventures, the event connected the company with venture capital firms, corporate investors and business angels to discuss its drug development programme.

IPCURE has joined Paris Biotech Santé, the leading Paris region incubator dedicated to innovation in human health. The programme provides access to specialist support and a network of entrepreneurs, clinicians and industry experts. This environment will support IPCURE as it develops its caspase-2 inhibitor programme and builds the partnerships needed for the next stages of drug development.

IPCURE welcomes Professor Marco A. Ciufolini, PhD, to its Scientific Advisory Board. A specialist in organic and medicinal chemistry, he brings expertise in molecular design and synthesis. His contribution will strengthen the chemistry strategy supporting IPCURE’s selective caspase inhibitors, including compound optimisation and the development of synthetic routes for further preclinical work.

IPCURE has been awarded a Bourse French Tech Émergence grant from Bpifrance. This non-dilutive funding supports the early development of the company’s deeptech project, which builds on research into selective caspase-2 inhibition. The grant provides additional resources to advance the programme and strengthen the foundations for future drug development.

IPCURE welcomes IX-LIFE Capital as a shareholder following its first investment in the company. The financing supports the development of IPCURE’s selective caspase-2 inhibitor programme. Alongside capital, the relationship brings life sciences investment experience to support the company as it establishes its development priorities and advances its preclinical research.

IPCURE welcomes Jean-Pierre Kinet, MD, to its Strategic Board. An immunologist with extensive experience in academic research, biotechnology and life sciences investment, he brings complementary scientific and business expertise. His contribution will support IPCURE’s corporate strategy and the translation of its research on selective caspase inhibition into a drug development program.

IPCURE welcomes Bernadette Bung, BBA, to its founding team and Strategic Board. A biotechnology entrepreneur and CEO of MicroBrain Biotech, she brings experience in building innovative companies and developing business partnerships. Her contribution will support IPCURE’s business development, strategic planning and engagement with prospective partners.

IPCURE has signed an exclusive licence agreement with Erganeo covering a family of selective caspase-2 inhibitors developed through French academic research. The agreement gives the company the rights to advance these patented compounds towards therapeutic applications. It marks a key step in translating the underlying science into a development programme for diseases with substantial unmet medical needs, including dementia.

Read the Erganeo press release

IPCURE has been incorporated in Paris by co-founders Etienne Jacotot, PhD, and Frédéric Jacotot, LLM, to translate academic research on selective caspase inhibition into new therapeutic approaches. Led by Etienne Jacotot as CEO, IPCURE combines expertise in cell death biology, drug discovery and pharmaceutical legal affairs. Its ambition is to develop medicines addressing major unmet needs in neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases.

The research project behind IPCURE has been named as a winner of France’s 2022 i-Lab innovation contest. The award recognises the potential of its approach to selective caspase-2 inhibition and supports the transition from academic research to an entrepreneurial venture. This milestone lays the groundwork for the creation of IPCURE and the development of its therapeutic programme.