• Symic Biomedical

  Led · Equity · Apr 2019

  Symic Bio develops novel matrix-targeting therapeutics inspired by naturally occurring macromolecules that regulate the extracellular matrix. The company currently has two clinical candidates: SB-061 for disease modification and pain management in osteoarthritis, and SB-030 to prevent peripheral vein graft failure. It is also investigating applications in fibrosis, oncology and diseases of the central nervous system. Symic Bio is led by CEO Ken Horne and is based in San Francisco, CA. The company raised $11M in financing to advance its clinical programs. Proceeds are intended to move SB-061 into a global Phase 2b trial in the latter half of 2019 and to initiate a global Phase 3 trial of SB-030 in 2020. Symic Bio develops novel matrix regulator therapeutics inspired by naturally occurring macromolecules that modulate the extracellular matrix. The company’s pipeline targets a range of indications, including peripheral vein graft failure, osteoarthritis, fibrosis, oncology and central nervous system diseases. Lead programs include SB-030 for prevention of peripheral vein graft failure and SB-061 for pain management and disease modification in knee osteoarthritis. Symic plans to use financing proceeds to advance those clinical programs and to support further research on its platform. The company intends to initiate a Phase 3 registration trial of SB-030 following a Type B pre-IND meeting with the FDA, which recommended proceeding based on interim results from the Phase 1/2a SHIELD study. Ken Horne serves as CEO. Symic is a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company developing multiple compounds that target and affect the extracellular matrix (ECM). The company’s lead candidates include SB-030, a locally applied, single-use treatment, and SB-061 for osteoarthritis. Symic recently initiated the Phase 1/2 SHIELD clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of SB-030 for reduction of acute inflammation following percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in patients with peripheral artery disease. The company will use its new funding to advance its pipeline, including SB-030 and SB-061. Symic has raised over $43M to date. The company was founded in 2012 and is based in San Francisco, CA, led by CEO Ken Horne. Symic Biomedical develops a new class of therapeutics that target the extracellular matrix (ECM), with a lead candidate named SBCV-030 aimed at reducing arteriovenous fistula (AVF) failures. The company plans to use recent funding to perform additional preclinical efficacy studies and advance SBCV-030 toward clinical development. The work is organized as a two-year project focused on further development of the therapeutic agent. Symic is collaborating with Prabir Roy-Chaudhury, M.D., Ph.D., Division Director of Nephrology at the University of Arizona College of Medicine and Banner University Medical Center, Tucson. The project is led by CEO Ken Horne. The company is based in San Francisco, California. Symic Biomedical is an early-stage biotech based in San Francisco developing a library of compounds that target and protect the extracellular matrix (ECM) from illness- or injury-related degradation. The company views the ECM as a relevant clinical target across vascular, orthopaedics, dermal and other medical conditions. Symic is advancing two lead programs and intends to push those candidates into clinical trials. The company will use proceeds from the financing for ongoing development of its novel therapeutics and the advancement of its lead programs. Led by CEO Ken Horne, Symic had raised a total of $17.8M to date following the Series A. In conjunction with the financing, Drs. Shanafelt and Claus Christiansen, MD (Chairman of Nordic Biosciences) joined Symic’s board of directors.

• Histocell SL

  Led · Equity · Sep 2018

  Histocell develops regenerative medicine and cell-therapy products, originating from research groups at the University of the Basque Country. Founded in 2005, the company integrated into the Noray Biosciences Group and is based in Bizkaia. It has around 10 employees and recently opened a production center in Larrabetzu following a €1.6M investment. The firm operates in the biotechnology/genetic engineering sector and focuses on translating cell-therapy research into products. Ownership remains concentrated: founders together with NorayBio and Orza retain more than 40% of the capital. The company completed a recent capital increase to support its development and internationalization plans. Founded in 2005 from research teams at the University of the Basque Country, Histocell develops regenerative‑medicine and cell‑therapy products and medical devices for aesthetic medicine. The company incubated at the Parque Tecnológico de Bizkaia and later integrated into the Noray Biosciences Group. Its product portfolio includes sanitary/medical devices aimed at aesthetic applications, and its first marketed product is Reoxcare. Histocell plans to use new funding to continue research, advance clinical trials, complete final development of aesthetic medical products, and support commercialization. Financially, the company completed a €4 million capital increase in which new investors joined the shareholder base. Shareholders include GCRPV (Ezten), Seed Capital Bizkaia, Noray Biosciences Group, Orza and business angels. Histocell develops Reoxcare, an active wound dressing that targets antioxidation to accelerate the natural healing of hard-to-heal wounds. Reoxcare has been tested successfully on various chronic and acute difficult-to-heal wounds. The company planned a commercial launch at the end of 2015 pending receipt of a CE mark. Histocell has secured commercialization agreements, including one with Luqa Pharma for China, Hong Kong and Macao, and is negotiating entry into other European and Asian markets. To support internationalization, Histocell closed the first tranche of a planned €4M financing round, raising €2.5M from its main shareholders and a new investor. The funds are intended to finance the international market rollout of Reoxcare. Histocell develops cell‑based medicines aimed at treating pulmonary diseases, notably idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The company has a license agreement with Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and the CSIC to advance development over the next three years. Under that arrangement Genoma España committed a minimum of €3 million and access to industrialization capacity, including Histocell’s advanced therapy manufacturing plant in Derio. Research began in 2004, was patented in 2005, and entered Genoma España’s technology portfolio in 2008; animal models showed certain lung cells could help recover lost pulmonary function. Histocell has an ongoing clinical program in patients with moderate fibrosis supported financially by Genoma España, the Instituto de Salud Carlos III and the CSIC, with results expected during 2012. The company plans to launch a capital‑increase round to fund later clinical development phases.

• Promethera Biosciences

  Participated · Series C · Oct 2016

  Promethera develops cell-based therapies and complementary biologics to reduce the need for liver transplantation, with lead programs derived from its patented HepaStem platform. Its lead product candidate, HepaStem, consists of expanded liver stem cells manufactured under cGMP and is being evaluated in a phase 2a trial in ACLF with safety and efficacy results presented at EASL 2019. The company is preparing to initiate a late-stage clinical trial in NASH, planned to start in Europe and expand to the US and Asia. Promethera also advances H2Stem and antibody programs such as the anti-TNF-R1 antibody Atrosimab to diversify its pipeline. The company operates internationally with facilities in Mont-Saint-Guibert (Belgium), Durham (NC, USA), Tokyo (Japan) and Basel (Switzerland). The organization is scaling manufacturing and advancing preclinical work while progressing multiple clinical programs. Promethera Biosciences is a global innovator in cell-based medicines focused on severe liver diseases. Its lead clinical program is derived from the company’s patented HepaStem cell technology platform, which the company says has immune-modulatory and anti-fibrotic properties. In addition to cell-based therapies, Promethera develops antibody technologies to complement and diversify its therapeutic options. The company operates R&D and GMP facilities in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, and Durham, North Carolina, USA. It recently acquired Baliopharm AG, adding an antibody candidate that specifically binds TNF-R1 to its pipeline. Promethera plans to use new funding to accelerate and broaden clinical development in indications with significant unmet need, including acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), NASH and fibrosis. Promethera Biosciences is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on cell therapy and regenerative medicine for inborn and acquired liver diseases. It develops products using allogeneic progenitor cells, stem cells and mature hepatocytes harvested from non-transplantable healthy human livers (HHALPC, HHLivC) and has three cell products: HepaStem, H2Stem, and Heparesc. The pipeline targets both orphan indications (urea cycle disorders, α1‑antitrypsin deficiency, hemophilia) and larger indications such as acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF), fibrosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Promethera plans to expand its development focus to these larger indications and accelerate clinical development toward the clinic. Headquartered in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium, Promethera was founded in 2009 as a spin-off of Université catholique de Louvain and maintains a U.S. operation with a GMP manufacturing facility in Durham, North Carolina. The company raised EUR 10 million in a Series C-extension to fund these initiatives and support expansion into Asian markets. Promethera Biosciences develops Promethera® HepaStem, a cell-based therapy for in-born errors of metabolism and acquired liver diseases, and Promethera® H2Screen and H3Screen, non-therapeutic in vitro products based on a patented liver progenitor cell type. The company was founded in 2009 as a spin-off of the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL) and is led by CEO Eric Halioua. It is clinical-stage and intends to use recent funding to advance the clinical development of HepaStem and a collaborative program with EMD-Millipore. The platform is based on cells isolated from healthy adult human livers. Promethera has 44 employees. Promethera Biosciences develops and commercializes allogeneic progenitor-cell products to treat liver diseases and offers liver cell models for the pharmaceutical industry. Its lead products include Promethera® HepaStem, a cell therapy for severe liver diseases in children and adults, and Promethera® HepaScreen, a cell model that mimics human liver metabolism and detoxification for drug testing. The company was founded in 2009 as a spin-off of the Université Catholique de Louvain and is led by CEO Eric Halioua. Promethera is based in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium and currently employs 40 people. In March 2012 it raised €23.6m in a Series B composed of a €17m capital increase and a €6.6m loan from the Walloon Region. New strategic and financial backers in the round include Boehringer Ingelheim, Shire, Mitsui Global Investment, ATMI and SambrInvest, joining earlier Series A investors.

No current team members are available.