"I see no better way to make an impact"

Gregor Bordon, can you summarize in three sentences what your Venture Fellowship project is?
During my Venture Fellowship project I am developing CloudLi, a new treatment that I developed during my PhD. It’s a treatment for joint diseases, in particular we are focusing on osteoarthritis, a disease that affects almost half a billion people worldwide. During the Venture Fellowship, we are trying to provide proof of concept data so that we can get to the next stage of the development towards a first equity round and the incorporation of the company.

Why do we need CloudLi?
Osteoarthritis is one of the leading causes of disability, with almost half a million patients in Switzerland alone. This is a big burden on our healthcare system, especially considering that the disease is age-related and the problem is increasing as our population gets older. Osteoarthritis usually begins with damage to a joint, like the knee, or more specifically to the cartilage. This is the white substance on the surface of the joint that allows your joint to move without any friction. If the cartilage is damaged, the friction in the joint increases, which leads to even more damage. At the same time, the damage also causes inflammation which leads to even more degeneration and pain. This means we have cartilage damage from the mechanical pathway and the inflammatory pathway.
At present, there are only a few treatments that have limited efficacy or high adverse effects. They usually only focus on one of the two aspects: either the mechanical part, for example with hyaluronic acid injections, or the inflammation, such as corticosteroids. This is not enough to really stop the progression of the disease and often results in patients having to undergo total knee replacement surgery and a lot of pain. CloudLi, on the other hand, really tries to stop the progression of the disease from both pathways, the mechanical and the inflammatory, and to improve the functionality of the joint.

How exactly does this two-way mechanism work?
For CloudLi we found a way to cluster liposomes, small fat-based vesicles known for joint lubrication, with a crosslinking agent with anti-inflammatory properties. These clusters are then injected into the joint, basically acting as micro-cushions that reduce the friction and lessen the mechanical cartilage damage while at the same time reducing inflammation.
This mechanism could also be applied in other areas. At the moment, we are developing this treatment for osteoarthritis. But the CloudLi-system can be seen as a platform with which we could develop multiple assets for different indications, such as joint infections or meniscus injuries.

And how did you come up with the name CloudLi?
When I was looking at the formulation under a microscope, I saw that they look a little bit like clouds. And these clouds are made of lipids – so Cloud Lipids or CloudLi for short. And with the “Li” at the end, it also has a bit of a Swiss feel to it.

Why are you the right person to pursue this project?
I would say because I bring a bit of both sides to the project: the technical expertise as well as some business knowledge.
I started my PhD coming from industry and I already had the goal of developing something that would help patients. When I got the first data, I knew I had to try to make this happen. I was the one that developed the CloudLi technology during my PhD, so I know it very well.
After the initial trials, it took some time to get funding for it. In the meantime, I joined a venture capital company in the Netherlands. I got a really good foundation on how to attract investors and what it takes to get solid financial backing to develop your buiness. After receiving the Venture Fellowship, I returned to the University of Bern to take the technology through the preclinical development towards the patients.

Would you say that pursuing an entrepreneurial career was already in your mind before you started working on this specific project?
Yes, I definitely think so. What really drove me through my PhD was to make a real impact. And I see no better way to make an impact in science than to translate it into reality for patients.

How is the University of Bern supporting you on this entrepreneurial path?
The Venture Fellowship has definitely been a great help for that. I have to pay my rent somehow. At the same time, I was also able to use the money for some studies to prove the concept in vivo.
Apart from the financial aspect, the Innovation Office with Stefanie offers me very good mentoring. I can have regular one-on-one discussions and exchange some ideas with her. When you do a translational project like this, it’s often a bit outside of what your research group does. I also get great advice on scientific development from my advisors, Prof. Paola Luciani and Prof. Jean-Louis Reymond. They not only share their expertise but also help by providing access to important research infrastructure, which really supports our scientific progress.

What was the most valuable advice that you have received in your career so far?
I always remember what my father told me when I was applying for a scholarship and was concerned that they might ask me to pay back the money later, if I decided not to work at that company. He said: “You'll think about it later, just first try to get it first.” That means you shouldn’t be afraid to try things. You can always change your mind later. But sometimes, if something scares you at first, maybe that's exactly what you need to do to grow and advance further.

Your Venture Fellowship year is soon coming to an end. What are your next steps now?
At the moment we are mainly focusing on two things: the development in the lab and fundraising. In the lab we are getting some good proof-of-concept data on early efficacy with the lower doses. Based on this, we're building several animal models and conducting further studies to prove the mechanism of action and prepare for regulatory conversations next year.
On the back of these results, we can start fundraising. Of course, this will take some time, more than a just a few months. First of all, I'm trying to get some more non-dilutive funding to support the project for another 18 months. During this time I will have time to build a company with a team around it and raise more dilutive funds.