Weekly round-up: Optimum’s European Life Sciences Investor Survey strikes optimistic note for 2025
Optimum spoke to some of Europe’s leading life science VCs to discover what they are looking for from potential investee companies and their top predictions for the next 12 months.
Participants from major investment firms shared their insights on the funding environment for 2025, how to secure funding in a difficult market, and explain why it has never been more important to tell the right story.
However the outlook for 2025 is optimistic overall, with a forecast increase in M&A – download your copy here.
Optimum TV
What’s it like living with a rare disease – and how do doctors even arrive at a diagnosis in the first place?
Tahira Mathur, Patient Advocate for Muscular Dystrophy UK shares her experience with GNE Myopathy, a particularly rare type of muscle wasting disease, in this touching episode of Optimum TV. MDUK is Optimum’s chosen charity for 2025! Please give generously using the link or QR code, to Tahira’s Team JustGiving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/tahira
All donations will go directly to Muscular Dystrophy UK, where they will be used to support research and initiatives related to GNE myopathy.
Noema Pharma extends Series B financing round, closing at CHF130 Million ($147 Million)
Noema Pharma, a clinical-stage biotech company targeting debilitating central nervous system (CNS) disorders, on Wednesday announced the successful close of a Series B extension financing round with an investment from EQT Life Sciences, bringing the total capital raised in the round to CHF 130 million (approx. USD 147 million). With its investment in Noema Pharma, EQT Life Sciences joins the syndicate of previous Series B investors including Forbion, Jeito Capital, Sofinnova Partners, Gilde Healthcare, Polaris Partners, Invus and UPMC Enterprises.
Leriglitazone meets the primary endpoint in NEXUS, its pivotal trial for pediatric patients with cerebral Adrenoleukodystrophy
Minoryx Therapeutics, a late-stage biotech company focused on the development of therapies for orphan central nervous system (CNS) disorders and Neuraxpharm Group, a leading European specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of CNS disorders, on Wednesday announced that the NEXUS trial has completed and that the primary endpoint has been met. The parties intend to file for European Marketing Authorization of leriglitazone in pediatric and adult cerebral Adrenoleukodystrophy (cALD) patients by mid-2025.
iOnctura reports clinical milestones in uveal melanoma
IOnctura, a clinical-stage biotech developing therapies targeting cancer and fibrotic diseases, on Wednesday reported promising Phase I results for its DIONE-01 study in uveal melanoma, showing a median overall survival of 16 months versus 7 months in historical controls. The company is advancing to Phase II OCULE-01 trial to further assess efficacy.
Ariceum Therapeutics and NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes Announce Supply Agreement for Therapeutic Radioisotope Actinium-225
Ariceum Therapeutics, a private biotech company developing radiopharmaceutical products for the diagnosis and treatment of certain hard-to-treat cancers, and NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC, a global innovator in the development, production and commercialization of radiopharmaceuticals used for therapeutic applications and medical imaging, on Wednesday announced the signing of a supply agreement for the therapeutic medical radioisotope, Actinium-225 (Ac-225).
Neuraxpharm and Pharmathen enter into strategic co-development agreement to develop long-acting injectable therapies
Neuraxpharm Group, a leading European specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders, and Pharmathen, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Greece and leaders in the development and supply of long-acting injectable (LAI) therapies, announced a strategic alliance to co-develop new long-acting injectable therapies within the psychiatry field under Pharmathen’s long-acting therapeutic technologies (LATT) program.
SpliceBio announced U.S. FDA IND Clearance of SB-007 to commence Phase 1/2 clinical study in patients with Stargardt disease
SpliceBio, a genetic medicines company pioneering Protein Splicing to address diseases caused by mutations in large genes, announced that the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared its investigational new drug (IND) application for lead program SB-007. SB-007 is the only clinical-stage therapeutic addressing the root genetic cause of Stargardt disease with the potential to treat all patients across all ABCA4 mutations.
General Inception acquires Enable Medicine and announces strategic partnership to accelerate drug discovery with AI-led generative biological search
General Inception, a global biotech company igniter, and Enable Medicine, a leader in AI-led data analysis for biological research and drug discovery, on Thursday announced an equity and strategic partnership which will amplify their joint drug discovery capabilities. As part of this partnership, General Inception is acquiring Enable for an undisclosed amount.
Elevation Oncology licenses ADC technology from Synaffix to drive pipeline expansion
Synaffix B.V., a Lonza company focused on commercializing its clinical-stage platform technology for the development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with best-in-class therapeutic index, on Thursday announced that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Elevation Oncology, Inc., an innovative oncology company focused on the discovery and development of selective cancer therapies to treat patients across a range of solid tumours with significant unmet medical needs.
Poolbeg Pharma plc presented POLB 001 pre-clinical study data at the 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting
Poolbeg Pharma, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of innovative medicines targeting diseases with a high unmet medical need, on Monday announced key insights from its poster presentation at the 66th American Society of Hematology (‘ASH’) Annual Meeting and Exposition, San Diego, California.
Resolution Therapeutics announced presentation at Keystone Symposia on Fibrosis
Resolution Therapeutics Limited, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on pioneering regenerative macrophage therapy in inflammatory and fibrotic diseases, on Tuesday announced that it had presented a poster at the Keystone Symposia Fibrosis: Inflammation, Drivers, and Therapeutic Resolution taking place on 8 – 11 December 2024 in Whistler, BC, Canada.
