Breakthrough in Battling Cancer Cells

Avigail Anavi, the founder and CEO of Marine BioVenom, part of the Avigail Lab MediaTech Group, is a remarkable woman. An innate entrepreneur who defies traditional expectations and embraces immense challenges without hesitation, she has built multiple deep-tech and biotech platforms across oncology, antimicrobial technologies, and advanced health applications while navigating international partnerships, fundraising efforts, and scientific development.

Throughout her career as a pharmacist at one of Israel's leading HMOs, Anavi's entrepreneurial spirit led her to initiate and head large-scale innovation projects related to human health. In recent years, her curiosity, combined with her passion for improving the world, has led her to establish three promising startup companies, each built around a technological breakthrough.

"I take inspiration from Albert Einstein, who once said that 'the world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch and do nothing.' I agree with him that one cannot remain merely an observer," Anavi attests. "It is precisely out of a sense of human and scientific responsibility that I take action, pursue research, and try to develop solutions that can truly make an impact—even if the path is complex and not always easy."

Hope for cancer patients

Marine BioVenom, which is entirely owned by Anavi, has developed a unique platform that utilizes jellyfish venom to fight malignant tumors. Early clinical trials have demonstrated very promising results, and the company is now raising funds in order to proceed to in vivo clinical trials—with the intention of applying to the FDA and other regulatory agencies.

Several years ago, Avigail Anavi's curiosity was piqued when she encountered large numbers of venomous jellyfish on a beach. Knowing that venom from other animals is the active ingredient in certain drugs, she wondered whether jellyfish venom might also be an effective natural resource. Indeed, there are drugs that treat conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and chronic pain which are derived from venom extracted from a range of animals, including snakes, large lizards and cone snails. These compounds are selected for their high specificity and efficiency in targeting human biological receptors.

Anavi wasted no time checking her theory. She partnered with Prof. Reuven Or, the head of Hematological Diseases at the Center for Hematological Diseases and Cancer Immunotherapy at the Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem. Prof. Or is an expert on bone marrow transplantation and cancer immunotherapy.

"About three years ago, Avigail Anavi approached me with the goal of establishing a research infrastructure to identify the anti-cancer compounds found within jellyfish capsules," recalls Prof. Or. "Together, we established a research platform to examine the effects of venom components on liver cancer, cardiac cancer, breast cancer, and lung cancer cells. We conducted laboratory experiments using the toxins, and the results were highly encouraging, demonstrating dose-dependent destruction of cancer cells. In addition, control-group experiments performed on healthy cells demonstrated resistance to the venom components. Thanks to Avigail's initiative and innovative thinking, we were able to open new horizons for the research and development of future therapies for chemotherapy-resistant tumors."

Early laboratory feasibility work demonstrated highly encouraging effects against several tumor cell types while showing significantly lower impact on healthy cells. "We are currently progressing toward the next preclinical development stages and international scientific collaborations," Anavi elaborates.

Enormous potential demand

Marine BioVenom's advanced solution targets cancer cells without harming healthy tissues. The cytotoxic component sourced from jellyfish venom is encapsulated in a unique Trojan Horse delivery platform using advanced engineering. The platform combines membrane-targeting activity with proteolytic biological mechanisms, delivered through advanced lipid-based systems designed to improve selectivity toward tumor cells.

The targeted liposomal delivery encapsulation acts in four stages: 1) it travels to the liver, bypassing healthy tissue without systemic toxicity; 2) the lipase chemically attracts and locks onto the cancer cells' specific lipid profile; 3) the Trojan Horse opens and serine protease induces severe membrane rupture and ionic imbalance; and 4) strong cytotoxicity triggers the irreversible programmed cell death pathway.

The R&D team is eager to proceed to the next phase of clinical testing and is in the process of finalizing agreements with leading laboratories both in Israel and in the United States. These tests will begin as soon as sufficient funding is available.

Every year, there are over 900,000 new cases of liver cancer and 500,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer diagnosed worldwide. Sadly, these cancers currently have very low survival rates. As the FDA is shifting towards a preference for biological drugs, which are less toxic as well as less expensive, there is an enormous global demand for targeted biological drugs that can help fight liver and other types of cancer.

Once these clinical tests will prove that Marine BioVenom's platform is effective against cancer cells, the sky will be the limit. The global oncology market is valued at more than $200 billion per year. After tackling liver and pancreatic cancer, the company plans to continue developing its platform to address other types of cancer, including breast cancer and lung cancer.

Additional innovations

In addition to Marine BioVenom, the Avigail Lab MediaTech Group is also developing two additional technologies, both of which are already entering commercial activity.

The first, Agavi Air Solutions, is an active antimicrobial air filtration technology for HVAC systems designed to eliminate bacteria, mold, and viruses through ion-based mechanisms integrated into filter media. The technology is intended for hospitals, public transportation, offices, clean rooms, and residential applications.

"I was shocked to learn that over 6,000 people die every year in Israel from hospital-acquired infections caused by bacteria and viruses that move from room to room. I realized that the bacteria were often spread through air-conditioning systems, which circulate unfiltered air throughout hospital spaces and function like a giant Petri dish," says Anavi.

The Covid-19 pandemic created a market for products designed to reduce or prevent air contamination in air-conditioning systems, but existing systems failed to provide a complete solution. Anavi was determined to find a solution to this problem in order to prevent illness and save lives.

"I developed a filter that is thin enough not to obstruct airflow back into the rooms, while also being capable of treating the bacteria found in the giant 'Petri dish' that exists inside the ducts," she explains. The filter is reasonably priced and is ideal for hospitals and other institutions looking for an accessible and practical solution. Agavi Air Solutions has recently entered the Indian market and is already generating significant interest.

Avigum, another innovative product developed by Avigail Anavi and her team, is a novel antimicrobial oral-care gel developed for gum and throat hygiene. Designed to help combat bacterial and fungal contamination in the oral cavity through a unique active formulation, Avigum toothpaste stains the bacteria and plaque on the teeth, thereby enabling the brusher to identify their exact location and brush them away. In addition to reducing the risk of tooth decay and gum disease, Avigum prevents diseases caused by these bacteria, such as heart and intestinal problems. Another benefit is that Avigum toothpaste has a whitening effect and helps remove stains from the teeth to make them brighter.

Both Agavi Air Solutions and Avigum have launched commercial and strategic operations through partnerships and distribution agreements, with an initial focus on the vast Indian market.

Avigail Anavi's motivation to develop HealthTech innovations stems from her career as a pharmacist, during which she constantly confronted people suffering from health issues. "I wanted them to be healthy. I wanted to use my knowledge to help people and for the good of humanity as a whole," she attests. Unlike many others, Anavi possesses the courage and determination to tackle critical health challenges by transforming her outstanding ideas into reality and founding startup companies dedicated to bringing them to commercial fruition.

For more information, please contact Avigail Anavi: osnatavigyl@gmail.com, Tel: +972-544685209

Partnered with Avigail Lab MediaTech Group