TVM Capital Life Science and specialty pharma company Tillotts Pharma are to jointly invest up to $28 million in a newly formed U.S.-based biotechnology company, Mage Biologics Inc.
TVM will invest with its TVM Life Science Innovation II SCSp (TVM LSI II) fund and will provide strategic advice to Mage Bio. Mage Bio is the 10th early-stage or project-focused company (PFC) investment for TVM LSI II.
Mage Biologics plans to advance to clinical proof of concept a novel, orally administered, humanized monoclonal antibody (mAb) bioengineered for optimal potency and tissue penetration. The mAb has been developed by Tillotts and originated from a discovery collaboration with Swiss biotech company Numab Therapeutics.
Clinical trial application in 2024
Utilizing Tillotts’ sustained release approach, the antibody is designed to enable release of the drug in the appropriate area of the intestinal tract at a predetermined rate to address inflammation locally and optimally. Initially, the drug will be developed for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. Manufacturing of clinical-grade material is planned to start in 2023, with the goal of filing a clinical trial application in 2024.
Thomas A. Tóth von Kiskér, CEO and board director of Tillotts, said: “We are excited to team up with TVM Capital Life Science to advance this oral antibody in ulcerative colitis, a lifelong disease profoundly impacting the patients’ quality of life. The collaboration with TVM underpins Tillotts’ leading role in developing and commercializing innovative products in the gastrointestinal field.”
“TVM Capital Life Science is proud to have enabled the creation of Mage Biologics. This investment is again a testament to our strong international network and builds on our successful single asset focus for innovative preclinical therapeutic agents,” said Sascha Berger, general partner of TVM Capital Life Science and member of the board of Mage Biologics.
“We are pleased to collaborate with the experienced management team of Johannes Spleiss and Chantal Miklosi, who will act as CEO and CFO, respectively, for Mage Biologics.”
Johannes Spleiss, head of scientific affairs at Tillotts and CEO of Mage Biologics, added: “We are taking a new and potentially disruptive approach to overcome the challenges with traditional ulcerative colitis treatments with this oral antibody. Developing more efficacious therapies with a greater likelihood of success and less systemic side effects is an important step in continuing to innovate for the many patients living with this condition. I look forward to advancing our antibody to clinical proof of concept.”
About the project-focused company
For its PFC investments, TVM has an arrangement with Eli Lilly and Company, which is a limited partner in TVM LSI II and the earlier fund TVM LSI I, under which TVM and its PFCs have the option to engage Chorus, a full-service autonomous research and development unit within Lilly, to assist the PFC by implementing a lean and focused drug development plan, resulting in data packages to help determine proof of concept.
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