Interesting project with a solid team behind, thanks for the write up @Paolo!
Some comments:
- Answering the comment above, it’s important to clarify that the passing of this proposal wouldn’t mean that VitaDAO itself invests 500000€. What the community is voting here is to ratify the publically available assessment of Ikaria by the Longevity Working Group, so other investors (some of them very alligned with VitaDAO’s interests) can use it to make their decisions. Something similar to what was done with Rubedo (VDP-15 Rubedo.Life assessment) and Repair Bio (VDP-46 [Assessment]: Repair Biotechnologies).
- Considering point 1, I think this part of the proposal is rather confusing, and I would suggest rewording, as well as the addition of a section explaining what the passing of the proposal would mean as in Repair Bio’s proposal.
- In addition to the point above and the not-so-clear sustained release of the microparticles, I would add as a risk that there isn’t any evidence that the local delivery of FN to the joint will have similar efficacy than systemic exposure by oral administration, even if the doses are comparable (which seems also unclear). FN has systemic effects (eg. reduction of LDL cholesterol, reduction of tryglycerides, increased ketogenesis…) that could have a positive impact in osteoarthritis but wouldn’t be achieved by local administration. I definitely see the local administration as worth exploring, but it doesn’t seem such a “safe bet” to me as the evaluation suggests.