• ExoCordOA, a five-year project, led by Exogenus Therapeutics and backed by Horizon Europe, brings together ten organisations spanning biotechnology, clinical development, regulation, GMP manufacturing, imaging, academia and healthcare
• Consortium will advance EXO-101 towards clinical validation as a potential disease-modifying treatment for osteoarthritis
• Programme also aims to address scientific, manufacturing, quality-control and regulatory barriers across the extracellular vesicle and secretome therapeutics field

The ExoCordOA consortium announced the launch of a five-year, €13 million project, funded by Horizon Europe to advance extracellular vesicle-enriched secretome therapies towards clinical use, with an initial focus on osteoarthritis.

Led by Exogenus Therapeutics, ExoCordOA brings together ten organisations with complementary expertise across biotechnology, clinical and regulatory development, GMP manufacturing, medical imaging, academia and healthcare. The consortium will combine these capabilities to support the development of a new secretome-based medicine for osteoarthritis and help build the foundations for Europe’s leadership in secretome-based therapeutics.

A central objective is to advance Exogenus’ lead candidate, EXO-101, towards clinical validation as a potential disease-modifying treatment for osteoarthritis. The programme will support the candidate’s Phase I and II clinical development while also addressing key scientific, manufacturing, quality-control and regulatory challenges that currently limit the clinical translation of extracellular vesicle and secretome therapies.   The consortium aims to resolve systemic bottlenecks by helping to develop more standardised approaches, robust analytical and potency assessment methods, and a clearer regulatory pathway for future secretome-based medicines.

Joana Correia, PhD, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Exogenus Therapeutics, said: “ExoCordOA brings together the expertise needed not only to advance EXO-101 towards clinical validation in osteoarthritis, but also to tackle barriers affecting the wider secretome therapeutics field. As project coordinator, Exogenus is proud to lead this collaborative European effort to establish stronger scientific, manufacturing and regulatory foundations for a new generation of regenerative medicines.”

The project forms part of a wider European effort to accelerate the clinical translation, standardisation and regulatory development of secretome-based therapies. The European Commission’s dedicated Horizon Europe funding call reflects the strategic importance it places on this emerging field and on building European innovation and leadership in advanced regenerative and anti-inflammatory therapeutics.

The ExoCordOA consortium is coordinated by Exogenus Therapeutics and comprises: Lonza, Anthony Nolan, Eliquent Life Sciences, iLoF - Intelligent Lab on Fiber, Utrecht University, University Medical Center Utrecht, Maastricht University Medical Center+, Image Analysis Group and ReumaNederland.

Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of disability worldwide. It affects ~8% of the global population, primarily women, with prevalence expected to rise as populations age, and there are currently no approved disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs (DMOADs), leaving patients reliant on symptom management and, ultimately, joint replacement. As a potential DMOAD, EXO-101 could slow or prevent disease progression, address a significant unmet need and reduce reliance on invasive surgery.