- Funds to support the HRX-215 Phase Ib clinical trial in the US and an international multicenter Phase IIa clinical trial for liver regeneration
- Elias Papatheodorou moves from Chairman of the Board to CEO of HepaRegeniX
- Dr. Linda Greenbaum becomes CMO at HepaRegeniX
TÜBINGEN, Germany, July 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HepaRegeniX GmbH, a clinical-stage company developing a novel regenerative therapy to treat acute and chronic liver diseases, today announced the closing of a Series C financing round led by Vesalius Biocapital IV with participation from existing investors Novo Holdings, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (BIVF) and High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF). The new funds of EUR 15 million will be used to advance the clinical development of the company’s clinical candidate HRX-215.
As part of the financing, Fabienne Roussel, Partner at Vesalius Biocapital, will join the Non-Executive Board of Directors. Elias Papatheodorou will become Chief Executive Officer and will take over the role of CEO from the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Elias Papatheodorou, Chairman of the Board, said: “We are very pleased to receive this significant financing, which underscores our investors’ confidence in our science and our ability to provide effective treatments to patients with liver disease. With the new funds, HepaRegeniX will advance its clinical plans for a Phase Ib trial in the US and an international Phase IIa trial to enhance liver regeneration and prevent liver failure.”
HRX-215 is a small molecule inhibitor of MItogen-activated protein (MAP) Kinase Kinase 4 (MKK4). Inhibition of MKK4 unleashes the regenerative capacity of hepatocytes and can greatly increase liver regeneration in patients. This is particularly relevant for patients with liver metastases or primary liver tumors, as resection of the tumors is the only curative therapeutic approach. Liver regeneration is also crucial in liver transplantation and in particular in enabling living donation of the left liver lobe. This strategy could significantly shorten the waiting list for liver transplant candidates. Promising preclinical data have confirmed the ability of HRX-215 to regenerate the liver and HepaRegeniX has successfully completed a Phase I study. These results were published in the prestigious journal cell.
“Vesalius Biocapital is pleased to support HepaRegeniX in the next phase of clinical development of HRX-215. There is a tremendous need for a treatment that can induce liver regeneration in patients with liver damage, liver tumors and transplants. HRX-215 has the potential to help these patients and significantly improve their lives. I look forward to working with the outstanding leadership team at HepaRegeniX to further develop this promising treatment candidate,” commented Fabienne Roussel, Partner at Vesalius Biocapital IV.
To lead HepaRegeniX through the next phases of clinical development and value creation, Dr. Linda Greenbaum will join HepaRegeniX as Chief Medical Officer (CMO). She brings extensive expertise and experience in clinical development and translational medicine. Most recently, she was Executive Director, Translational Medicine at Novartis in the US. Prior to joining Novartis, she was Director of Clinical Development at Janssen R&D and taught at Thomas Jefferson University and the University of Pennsylvania, where she led a research laboratory studying liver regeneration and fibrosis. Dr. Greenbaum holds an MD from Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.
“It is an honor to join HepaRegeniX at such an important time in its development,” added Dr. Linda Greenbaum, Chief Medical Officer of HepaRegeniX. “MKK4 is a key regulator of liver regeneration, and inhibition of MKK4 has been shown to induce liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy. With this mode of action, HRX-215 has tremendous potential to improve outcomes for patients who are currently unable to undergo potentially curative surgical resection due to liver tumors, as well as other patient populations affected by liver failure. I look forward to working with the talented team at HepaRegeniX to advance the clinical development of HRX-215 through Phase II trials and beyond, with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for patients with liver disease worldwide.”
Elias Papatheodorou “We are pleased to welcome Dr. Linda Greenbaum to our leadership team. Her extensive knowledge and expertise will guide the future clinical development of HRX-215. With our new funding and the expansion of our experienced leadership team, we hope to offer a much-needed therapy to patients with liver disease.”
For further information please contact:
HepaRegeniX GmbH
Elias Papatheodorou
Chairman of the Board
For media inquiries:
MC Services AG
Katja Arnold, Dr. Regina Lutz
+49 89 210 228-0
Great Britain: Shaun Brown
Tel: +44 7867 515 918
[email protected]
About HepaRegeniX GmbH – www.heparegenix.com
Since 2017, HepaRegeniX has successfully discovered and developed several drug candidates for the treatment of acute and chronic liver diseases based on a novel proprietary molecular target MItogen-activated protein (MAP) Kinase Kinase 4 (MKK4). The first MKK4 inhibitor HRX-215 recently completed clinical phase 1. MKK4 is an important regulator of liver regeneration and the suppression of MKK4 releases the regenerative capacity of hepatocytes even in severely diseased livers. This new and unique therapeutic concept was discovered by Prof. Lars Zender and his research group at the University Hospital Tübingen. Investors in HepaRegeniX include Vesalius Biocapital IV, the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (BIVF), Novo Holdings A/S, Coparion, the High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) and Ascenion GmbH.
