Resalis Therapeutics has completed a seed financing round of €10 million to establish a non-coding RNA (ncRNA)-based therapeutic approach for the treatment of metabolic diseases.
The funding will support the finalization of IND-enabling studies for the Resalis Therapeutics’ lead program, RES-010, which Resalis will initially develop as a novel treatment for obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
The financing was led by Claris Ventures, with participation from Italian Angels for Growth and Club degli Investitori. Pietro Puglisi, managing partner at Claris Ventures, joins Resalis’ board of directors. The company has also appointed Alessandro Toniolo as CEO. He brings experience in the life science and pharmaceutical sectors, ranging from drug development to heading marketing and sales teams at Pfizer and Novartis.
“At Resalis, we are tackling metabolic disorders with a cutting-edge ncRNA modality. This novel approach has been developed by the expertise of the Resalis founders, who are leading scientists in the field. Harnessing this in-depth know-how, we determined the central role of microRNA-22 (miR-22) in metabolic disorders and have developed a potent inhibitor of miR-22, designated as RES-010. We believe that RES-010 has the potential to become a safe, well tolerated and convenient treatment option for obesity and NAFLD,” Toniolo said.
“This seed funding will accelerate the development of our lead candidate and provides an orthogonal approach to other therapeutics.”
About Resalis Therapeutics’ RES-10
Resalis Therapeutics’ lead candidate RES-10 is an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) that targets miR-22, a central player in the regulation of lipid metabolism and energy consumption. In multiple proof-of-concept studies in rodents and non-human primates, RES-010 showed the potential to provide a safe and long-lasting therapeutic effect, alone or in combination with approved drugs.
Resalis Therapeutics is now focused on IND-enabling studies to support a first-in-human clinical trial in early 2024.
“Resalis’ therapeutic approach is based on innovative science and has quickly led to the development of a lead candidate. With obesity and NAFLD, the company is addressing two indications with a high need for disease-modifying drugs that will provide sustained clinical benefit,” Puglisi said.