NanoPhoria Bioscience, a biotech company based in Milan, has announced that it has closed its Series A round at €83.5 million. The round is led by Xgen Venture, Sofinnova Partners and CDP Venture Capital, with the participation of Panakès Partners. and another investor who prefers to remain anonymous.
The funding will enable NanoPhoria to advance the development of its lead candidate, NP-MP1, through preclinical studies enabling IND (investigational new drug) application and early clinical development. NP-MP1 is a first-class peptide that acts on L-type cardiac calcium channels to improve ejection fraction, representing a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).
Administered via NanoPhoria’s proprietary nano-in-micro lung-to-heart technology, NP-MP1 has demonstrated excellent efficacy in preclinical models of heart failure and aims to address one of the underlying causes of HFrEF by improving cardiac contractility. HFrEF is a condition that affects millions of people worldwide, with a five-year mortality rate of approximately 40%.
“This funding represents a transformative milestone for NanoPhoria,” said Claudio De Luca, CEO and co-founder, in a statement. “It allows us to accelerate the clinical development of NP-MP1 and expand our pipeline. Our innovative delivery platform enables us to reach previously inaccessible cellular targets in cardiomyocytes, bringing us closer to our goal of offering life-changing therapies to patients with serious and chronic heart conditions that are often inadequately treated by existing therapies. We are deeply grateful to our scientific founders, our investors, our Board of Directors and our Chair, Suman Shirodkar, whose vision and dedication have shaped NanoPhoria’s progress and ambitions.
“This investment is perfectly in line with Xgen Venture’s strategy, which aims to lead the initial financing rounds of the most innovative Italian start-ups that respond to real medical needs,” says Paolo Fundarò, managing partner of Xgen Venture. “NanoPhoria’s science offers a new and concrete approach to delivering highly potent therapies directly to the heart, and we are excited to be working with a consortium of top-tier investors.”
“NanoPhoria’s platform has the potential to redefine therapeutic paradigms in cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions, which is why we are excited to invest in this company,” adds Henrijette Richter, managing partner at Sofinnova Partners. . “This funding builds on the initial support provided by my colleague Lucia Faccio, partner in the Sofinnova Telethon strategy, whose role was instrumental in supporting the company in its early stages. The investment reflects Sofinnova’s broader commitment to supporting scientific excellence in Europe, from the creation of new companies to their advanced growth.”
Founded in 2022 by Daniele Catalucci, Michele Iafisco, Alessio Alogna and Claudio De Luca, NanoPhoria is a spin-off of the National Research Council (CNR). The company is developing a versatile nano-in-micro and lung-to-heart delivery platform based on inorganic calcium phosphate nanoparticles. The company’s first product is a preclinical treatment for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), a chronic syndrome that affects millions of people worldwide. (photo by Joshua Chehov on Unsplash).
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