Kondree: Towards effective management of pathological oxidative stress

The price to pay for our consumption of oxygen, essential to our survival, is the production of aggressive substances: called Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) or free radicals. Our lifestyle (smoking, diet low in fruits and vegetables or too rich in sugar, lack of physical exercise, exposure to the sun, pesticides and endocrine disruptors) can cause an excess in the production of these ROS. When we notice an imbalance between radical species and the presence of antioxidants in the body (vitamins, trace elements) we speak of oxidative stress. In theory, each organ or tissue can therefore become the target of oxidative stress, which can lead to the appearance of various diseases. It thus represents a major component in the development of degenerative diseases such as: Alzheimer's, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic inflammatory diseases, etc.

Despite its importance, there is no specific treatment for oxidative stress in current practice. Analyzing and rebalancing the redox balance (antioxidant/pro-oxidant) requires know-how: it requires rigorous pre-analysis, a relevant choice of biomarkers and good knowledge and experience for its interpretation. Finally, patient care must be done over time to correctly adapt the antioxidant dosage. Oxidative stress is therefore complex to treat.

In the case of a rare disease: facio-scapulo-humeral myopathy (FSH) which is a degenerative neuromuscular disease, the Montpellier team of Pr. Dalila Laoudj-Chenivesse (PHYMEDEXP joint unit: INSERM, CNRS and University of Montpellier) looked at the involvement of oxidative stress in these patients. At the end of a physiopathological study and a clinical research protocol: A patent-pending decision tree was developed by the team of Professor Laoudj Chenivesse. The clinical phase aimed to evaluate the effects of antioxidant supplementation, adapted to each patient's own biological analyzes (on the strength of the quadriceps) in a treatment course (NCT02622438). Preliminary data show a beneficial effect of this antioxidant supplementation on the strength of patients with FSHD (publication in progress).

This approach has made it possible to develop unique expertise making it possible to adapt the dosage of antioxidant supplementation in a personalized manner for FSHD and to obtain a maturation phase of the SATT AxLR in 2020.

The KONDREE start-up led by Claire Lefranc, which has 5 partners, is thus a spin OFF which will make it possible to industrialize and promote this know-how by creating a new oxidative stress care pathway for FSH patients by the end of 2025 , mid 2026. This will be based on the use of software, a medical device which will allow health practitioners (EU) to support patients and adjust antioxidant supplementation according to their needs.

In the absence of curative treatment of the pathology (FSH myopathy), antioxidant supplementation is a considerable advance for patients according to the first returns and routine care at the Montpellier University Hospital. Also, while waiting for the software to be placed on the European market, a specific consultation should take place in the Paris region (you can contact the company on this subject: https://kondree.com).

The implementation of such a methodology should serve as a basis for other pathologies where oxidative stress plays an important role and to do so open up new public/private research partnerships with the FSH scientific team (in progress).

The KONDREE company thus has three complementary activities: it finances and sets up clinical research programs on oxidative stress in partnership and collaboration with French and European university hospitals (the next one concerns fragility and aging). At the end of this clinical phase, KONDREE designs a digital medical device (CE) based on the results of clinical studies (decision trees). Finally, the company has a range of antioxidants manufactured under the Ogynutrition brand: https://ogynutrition.com/ allowing it to respond very precisely to the dosages recommended by the software.