Nuevocor, an IND (investigational new drug application, i.e. clinical trial application) stage biotechnology company developing functional cures for cardiomyopathies caused by aberrant mechanobiology, announces that it has closed a $45m Series B financing. The round is co-led by Angelini Ventures and Kurma Partners with significant participation from existing investors EDBI, ClavystBio, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund and Highlight Capital and SEEDS Capital.
Following the financing, Elia Stupka of Angelini Ventures (pictured) and Amanda Gett-Chaperot of Kurma Partners joined the board of Nuevocor.
The new investment will support the first phase 1/2 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the lead candidate, NVC-001, targeting dilated cardiomyopathy associated with LMNA gene mutations (LMNA-DCM). The clinical trial will be open-label, multicentre and single ascending dose.
NVC-001, and other pipeline assets, are derived from Nuevocor’s proprietary mechanobiology platform PrOSIATM, which maps aberrant mechanobiological force transduction, a key functional cause in many cardiomyopathies, including LMNA-DCM. These mutations impair the structural stability of the cell nucleus, leading to mechanical and transcriptional dysfunction in cardiomyocytes. Clinically, the disease manifests as dilatation and weakening of the left ventricle, rapid progression to heart failure and an elevated risk of malignant ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death, often already in young adulthood. LMNA-DCM is estimated to affect several thousand people, with a typical onset between the ages of 30 and 40. Currently, there are no approved therapies specifically for this condition; treatment is based on standard protocols for heart failure and arrhythmia prevention, but most patients progress to the terminal stage of the disease, almost always necessitating heart transplantation.
Nuevocor’s innovative approach aims to intervene, after having identified the genetic causes of cardiomyopathies through the platform, directly on the pathways underlying the disease, blocking the transmission of aberrant signals that contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease, and thus not limiting itself to the replacement of individual mutated genes, as is the case with traditional gene therapy. Mechanobiology, which underlies this approach, combines biology and engineering in the study of cells and is based on the observation that various cellular activities are also regulated by mechanical forces.
For Angelini Ventures, this investment represents a strategic step of great significance, both for the geographical expansion it entails and for its positioning in a new high-impact therapeutic area. Nuevocor is headquartered in Singapore, one of the emerging hubs for biotechnology research in Asia, and also develops its programmes in the US and Europe, creating a virtuous bridge between advanced scientific and clinical ecosystems. The entry of European investors strengthens the strategic axis between Europe and Asia, combining transcontinental resources and expertise to support innovation in therapeutic areas with unmet clinical needs. From a scientific point of view, the investment also marks Angelini Ventures’ debut in the field of cardiovascular health, an area that has seen significant progress in recent years in the understanding of disease mechanisms, but still needs new solutions to radically change the clinical evolution of serious diseases such as LMNA dilated cardiomyopathy.
“We are delighted to have achieved this significant funding milestone and to be able to build global partnerships with a group of experienced life science investors. Their support will enable Nuevocor to continue its strong momentum and bring NVC-001 to the clinic,” says Yann Chong Tan, CEO and co-founder of Nuevocor, in a note. – There is a huge unmet need for people with cardiomyopathies and, with the help of our effective mechanobiology platform, we continue to build our pipeline of revolutionary targeted drugs for these patients.”
“Our investment in Nuevocor represents a strategic expansion in the cardiovascular field, addressing an important unmet medical need with a truly innovative approach. What makes Nuevocor’s mechanistic gene therapy platform particularly attractive is its ability to target the pathways underlying genetic dilated cardiomyopathy, rather than simply replacing mutated genes,” explains Elia Stupka, managing director of Angelini Ventures – This approach has the potential to help thousands of patients currently facing the prospect of multiple heart transplants during their lifetime. By intervening at the mechanobiological level to block harmful signalling pathways, Nuevocor’s technology offers hope for a unique treatment that could dramatically improve patients’ quality of life while significantly reducing the enormous burden on healthcare systems. As Nuevocor advances towards clinical trials, we are proud to join its board of directors and support its mission to transform treatment paradigms for this disease.”
“Nuevocor is providing new hope to a significant population of patients with cardiovascular disease who today have no treatment options by acting directly on the underlying causes of the disease,” says Amanda Gett-Chaperot, partner at Kurma Partners. “The burden of cardiomyopathies is significant and Kurma is excited to join Nuevocor, investing from the new Biofund IV to create significant value through the treatment of these serious diseases.
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