Anoat Therapeutics, a French preclinical stage biotechnology company specialized in cystic fibrosis (CF), has raised €2 million ($2.17 million) in seed funding from AdBio partners.
Anoat will use the funds to conduct additional in vivo and in vitro pharmacology assessments and select a lead candidate.
Anoat Therapeutics’ goal is to bring a transformative and mutation-agnostic treatment option to CF patients for whom existing therapies are not effective – i.e., patients not eligible or responsive to CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator) modulator therapies.
“Based on highly promising proof-of-concept data and relying on a network of physicians and patient associations, the Anoat team will strive to meet the medical needs of CF patients who, to date, remain without any treatment,” said Vincent Bischoff, CEO of Anoat Therapeutics.
“We aim to provide a therapeutic option that will help alleviate the burden of their life-threatening condition. I am particularly proud to take on the role of CEO at this company, which brings together a team of exceptional scientists, seasoned biotech professionals and drug development experts.”
Cystic fibrosis is a progressive genetic disease that affects the lungs, pancreas and other organs. An estimated 105,000 people have been diagnosed with CF across 94 countries.
About Anoat Therapeutics
Anoat Therapeutics is a preclinical-stage company focused on developing novel therapies to transform the lives of patients with rare diseases who have limited or no treatment options.
Other cystic fibrosis developments
Earlier this year, Carbon Biosciences launched with $38 million of financing, including support from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Massachusetts-based Carbon is harnessing novel parvovirus vectors that can deliver larger gene therapy payloads with enhanced tissue specificity and with minimal neutralizing immunity and the potential to re-dose.
The company plans to use the series A funding to advance the development of its programs for genetic diseases, including CF.
Also this year, Nanite Inc. announced an investment from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of up to $2 million to develop gene delivery technologies for the lung. This builds on the $6 million seed financing recently announced by the company.
One of the most significant challenges in developing new therapies for patients with CF is effective drug delivery. Nanite uses polymer nanoparticles, an innovative delivery modality that can offer advantages over other means of genetic therapy delivery into cells.
And last year, U.S. company Krystal Biotech announced a clinical trial for cystic fibrosis after the FDA accepted its investigational new drug (IND) application.
The gene therapy company will be evaluating KB407, a modified HSV-1 vector carrying two copies of the CFTR gene to the respiratory cells in the lungs.