French biotech company B&A Oncomedical announces two major advances in the fight against brain tumors at the 25th annual “Biotech in Europe” Forum in Basel. These new approaches, which target both the tumor and its cerebral microenvironment, aim to slow tumor progression, restore neuronal balance, and prolong patient survival. This represents a real paradigm shift in the fight against one of the most formidable forms of cancer.
B&A Oncomedical, a biotechnology company dedicated to the development of new therapeutic approaches to brain tumors, will present two particularly promising therapeutic programs at the 25th annual “Biotech in Europe Forum for Global Partnering & Investment” in Basel on October 8-9, 2025: COMBO and NKCCure. Professor Yehezkel Ben-Ari, founder and chief scientific officer of B&A Oncomedical, will speak at sessions devoted to innovations in oncologyto present these advances*.
COMBO, A dual strategy against brain tumors
COMBO combines two well-known and repositioned drugs, bumetanide and mebendazole, in a novel therapeutic approach that targets both tumor cells and their neuronal microenvironment.
Preclinical studies and a pilot compassionate use trial have shown
- An increase in programmed cancer cell death,
- A reduction in tumor progression,
- A restoration of neuronal balance (restoration of GABAergic inhibition),which is essential for limiting cancer progression,
- An blockade of epileptic seizures,
- And a significant increase in patient survival witha considerable improvement in quality of life.
Accessible and rapidly transposable to clinical practice, this first-of-its-kind dual-action therapy paves the way for a new generation of more effective and affordable treatments.
NKCCure, a new generation of NKCC1 inhibitors
The NKKC1 co-transporter plays a key role in neuronal balance (maintaining the excitation-inhibition balance), and its deregulation promotes several pathologies. Building on the mechanism of action of bumetanide, a diuretic that inhibits the NKKC1 co-transporter, B&A Oncomedical has developed a portfolio of more than 120 new NKCC1 inhibitors, several of which have shown significantly better performance than bumetanide in preclinical studies.
These next-generation compounds could not only revolutionize the treatment of glioblastoma, but also be applied to a wide range of neurological disorders linked to chloride dysregulation, including epilepsy, autism spectrum disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, and others.
“Targeting both the tumor and the neural networks”
“Brain tumors remain among the most devastating cancers, in part because current treatments ignore the role of neural networks in their progression,” explains Professor Ben-Ari. “With B&A Oncomedical, we are proposing a paradigm shift: developing therapies that target not only the tumor, but also its environment. The SACHS Forum is a unique opportunity to meet partners and investors to accelerate these programs and bring accessible and transformative treatments to patients. We thank the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region and Eurobiomed for their decisive support in the development of our research and innovation programs. “
Next steps
B&A Oncomedical is currently seeking strategic partnerships, licensing opportunities, and funding to advance these two innovative, patent-protected projects: COMBO to Phase II/III clinical trials and NKCCure inhibitors to the clinical preparation phase.
Dates and Program
25th Biotech in Europe Forum for Global Partnering & Investment
Basel, Switzerland – October 8–9, 2025. Program HERE
* Presentation by Prof. Ben Ari on October 8 at 12:10 p.m., Ruby Room – Track A
