Tanai Therapeutics obtient un financement supplémentaire de Novo Nordisk et BioGeneration Ventures pour un nouveau médicament contre l'obésité

Gand, 19 Septembre 2024 – Tanai Therapeutics (« la société » ou « Tanai »), une entreprise dérivée du VIB (Institut Flamand de Biotechnologie) qui développe une nouvelle classe de traitements contre l'obésité, annonce aujourd'hui qu'elle a obtenu un financement supplémentaire de Novo Nordisk A/S et de BioGeneration Ventures (« BGV ») aux côtés des investisseurs existants V-Bio Ventures, Qbic et VIB, ce qui porte à plus de 6 millions d'euros le montant total du levée de fonds d'amorçage à ce jour. Tanai développe une thérapie orale ciblant une nouvelle voie génétiquement validée dans l'obésité qui joue un rôle clé dans la dépense énergétique.

En outre, Tanai Therapeutics annonce la nomination d'experts de premier plan, le professeur Bill Haynes, le professeur Susanne la Fleur, le professeur Sir Stephen O'Rahilly, le professeur Mads Tang-Christensen, le professeur Matthias Tschöp et le fondateur scientifique, le professeur Savvas Savvides, au sein de son conseil

Tanai Therapeutics a été fondée en 2023 sur la base des recherches menées au VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research, avec un financement initial de V-Bio Ventures en tant qu'investisseur principal, Qbic et VIB. Le financement supplémentaire obtenu auprès de Novo Nordisk, une entreprise mondiale de premier plan dans le domaine des soins de santé avec un solide héritage dans les maladies métaboliques, et de BGV, une importante société européenne de capital-risque en phase de démarrage ayant fait ses preuves dans la création de sociétés biotechnologiques de nouvelle génération, sera essentiel pour faire progresser les thérapies anti-obésité innovantes de Tanai vers la preuve de concept in-vivo.

« Grâce à son mode d'action unique, la cible médicamenteuse génétiquement validée de Tanai a le potentiel de favoriser sélectivement la perte de graisse par une augmentation de la dépense énergétique tout en préservant la masse musculaire, offrant ainsi une nouvelle approche prometteuse pour le traitement de l'obésité », a déclaré Karin Conde-Knape, Senior Vice President, Global Drug Discovery chez Novo Nordisk. "Tanai Therapeutics est la première prise de participation dans le cadre de notre programme Science2Medicine iNNvest, qui vise à encourager et à soutenir les biotechs innovantes dans le domaine du cardiométabolisme, et nous sommes impatients de collaborer avec toutes les parties prenantes.

« À BGV, nous avons suivi activement ce nouveau domaine thérapeutique, même avant son taux de croissance élevé, et nous avons examiné plusieurs propositions d'investissement. Le mécanisme d'action de Tanai est clairement différencié et présente donc un très fort potentiel dans la lutte contre l'obésité », a ajouté Rianne Ellenbroek, directrice chez BGV. « La formation de cet éminent conseil scientifique souligne notre confiance dans l'approche innovante de Tanai et sa promesse de révolutionner le traitement de l'obésité. »

Jérôme Van Biervliet, directeur général de VIB, a ajouté: « Avec V-Bio Ventures et Qbic, nous sommes heureux d'accueillir nos nouveaux investisseurs et conseillers scientifiques. Nous sommes honorés de travailler en étroite collaboration avec des experts aussi renommés dans le domaine, ce qui constitue une forte validation du potentiel de l'approche thérapeutique novatrice de Tanai. Cette collaboration et ce financement permettront à Tanai Therapeutics de faire progresser son programme sur l'obésité vers des étapes clés, et nous sommes impatients de rendre compte des succès de la société. »

***FIN***

Joran Lauwers

Media Relations, VIB

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joran.lauwers@vib.be+32 478 99 33 98

Lies Vanneste

Investor Relations Manager, VIB

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IR@vib.be+32 498 05 35 79

For the editor:

Bio Prof. Savvas Savvides

Savvas Savvides, scientific founder of Tanai Therapeutics, is Professor at Ghent University and Group Leader at the VIB, where he leads an interdisciplinary research program focused on deciphering the structure, mechanism, and modulation of proteins crucial to energy metabolism, immunity, inflammation, and cancer. Prof. Savvides has made seminal contributions to understanding cytokine-mediated receptor assemblies and has connected these insights to health and disease. His work extends beyond research, encompassing translational science, entrepreneurial ventures, and serving as key-opinion-leader in structural biology and its applications in protein engineering and drug development. Dedicated to scholarly and public service, Prof. Savvides is committed to educating and mentoring the next generation of structural biologists and is actively involved in international science policy and governance.

Bio Prof. Bill Haynes

Bill Haynes is a Corporate Vice President in the Global Drug Discovery organization at Novo Nordisk and a visiting professor in the Radcliffe Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford. He trained in medicine and translational research in the UK and was a professor of endocrinology and cardiovascular diseases at the University of Iowa, where he made key discoveries in leptin biology and obesity-related cardiovascular disease. Since 2013, he has led innovative drug discovery projects at Novartis, AstraZeneca, and for the past five years at Novo Nordisk, with expertise in translational medicine and early development, and is currently a member of key Novo Nordisk Research and Early Development governance committees. Prof. Haynes is a fellow of The Obesity Society and an elected senior member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation.

Bio Prof. Susanne la Fleur

Susanne la Fleur is a full professor at the University of Amsterdam, specializing in the neurobiology of energy metabolism. She earned her PhD from the University of Amsterdam and completed her post-doctoral training at UCSF in San Francisco, USA. Her research focusses on the interaction between energy metabolism and the brain, particularly in the contexts of obesity and diabetes. Prof. la Fleur bridges basic science with clinical applications, translating insights from rodent models to human studies and vice versa.

Bio Prof. Sir Stephen O’Rahilly

Stephen O'Rahilly MD FRS is an endocrinologist and professor of clinical biochemistry and medicine at the University of Cambridge. He researches the etiology and pathophysiology of human metabolic and endocrine disorders and how such information might be used to improve the diagnosis, therapy and prevention of these diseases. Prof. Sir O’Rahilly has received numerous international scientific awards, is an international member of the US National Academy of Sciences and received a Knighthood in 2013.

Bio Prof. Mads Tang-Christensen

Mads Tang-Christensen, MD PhD, is Adjunct Professor at Monash University and a seasoned senior executive in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, specializing in cardiometabolic disorders. He co-founded and held executive roles in several biotech companies including Rheoscience, Gubra, Embark Laboratories, Antag Therapeutics and Incipiam Pharma. Prof. Tang-Christensen also has a decade-long tenure at Novo Nordisk as Vice President and Corporate Vice President, where he served as Global Head of obesity and liver disease. He excels in translating innovative ideas from inception through to clinical development, building organisations and executing strategic initiatives.

Bio Prof. Matthias Tschöp

Matthias Tschöp is the CEO of Helmholtz Munich, Vice President of the Helmholtz Association, and an Alexander von Humboldt Professor at the Technical University of Munich. He has made groundbreaking contributions to the understanding of gut-brain signaling, leading to the discovery of the first highly effective drugs for human obesity. In collaboration with chemist Richard DiMarchi, he developed dual and triple gut hormone multi-agonists, with a first representative now FDA-approved. Prof. Tschöp has been honoured with numerous prestigious awards, including the Banting Medal, the Heinrich Wieland Prize, and the Ernst Schering Prize.

About BGV
​BioGeneration Ventures (BGV) is a venture capital company, with a focus on early-stage European biotech companies. With a strong track record of significant financial returns through its investments in healthcare innovations and providing the expertise to build world-class companies, BGV manages over 450 million euro across 6 funds, and invests in areas where true scientific innovations, unmet medical needs, and the potential to demonstrate a significant proof of concept all converge. BGV strives to work with founding teams to progress science and build successful companies and uses its experience to guide progress into clinical trials, leading to successful drug development and value realization for its investors. BGV applies its expertise in a rigorous process to select the most compelling opportunities with the best prospects for exit. The Company is based in Naarden, The Netherlands. BGV operates a joint venture partnership with Forbion, a leading European life sciences venture capital fund which currently manages €3.2 bn across 9 funds. For more information, please visit: http://www.biogenerationventures.com.

About Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company, founded in 1923 and headquartered in Denmark. Our purpose is to drive change to defeat serious chronic diseases, built upon our heritage in diabetes. We do so by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to our medicines, and working to prevent and ultimately cure disease.

About Qbic

Qbic is a sector-agnostic seed and early-stage venture capital fund, focusing on creating impact through the transformation of technological breakthroughs into sustainable business. The fund’s goal is to support young innovative companies that valorize research from Qbic’s knowledge partners. Qbic typically participates in the first external investment round of a company and continues to support and invest in these companies throughout their growth. Learn more at www.qbic.be.

About V-Bio Ventures

V-Bio Ventures is an independent venture capital firm specialized in building and financing young, innovative life sciences companies. V-Bio Ventures was established in 2015 and works closely with Belgium-based VIB, one of the world’s premier life science institutes. The fund invests throughout Europe in start-up and early-stage companies with high growth potential focusing on technologies that provide transformational innovations in the biopharmaceutical, pharmaceutical and agricultural sectors. Learn more at https://v-bio.ventures.

About VIB

VIB is a leading life sciences research institute based in Belgium, renowned for its work in medical sciences, plant biology, microbiology, artificial intelligence and biotechnology. VIB's mission is to push the boundaries of scientific discovery, transform it into disruptive biotech innovations and support the growth of the life sciences ecosystem in Flanders (Belgium). VIB is a partnership with KU Leuven, Ghent University, University of Antwerp, University of Hasselt and Vrije Universiteit Brussel. VIB drives the translation of research discoveries into innovative products and technologies for patients and society. It does so by launching new spin-offs, licensing intellectual property to companies, engaging in dynamic partnerships and fostering talent development. VIB has created 39 spin-offs in the healthcare and agrifood sectors, attracting over €1.8 billion in equity investment and has partnered intensely with private industry, generating over €350 million in income. VIB’s research has led to dozens of innovative products brought to market for medical, agriculture, and food applications, with many more in development. Seven of its spin-off companies have reached the clinical stage. Learn more at www.vib.be.

About Tanai Therapeutics

Tanai Therapeutics is a Belgian biotech company pioneering a novel treatment for obesity. It was founded in 2023 as a spin-off from VIB and UGent with the support of V-Bio Ventures and Qbic. Its scientific foundation originates from the ground-breaking research of Prof. Savvas Savvides and Prof. Charlotte Scott from the VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research. Tanai Therapeutics is developing an oral, first-in-class therapeutic targeting a genetically validated pathway in obesity critical to energy expenditure. The company has raised over EUR 6 million in seed financing from a syndicate of investors, including V-Bio Ventures, Qbic, VIB, BioGeneration Ventures and Novo Nordisk.