LNC Therapeutics Secures €6.2M Funding to Advance Live Biotherapeutic Drug Development

Recently, VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned from foreign media reports that biotechnology company LNC Therapeutics announced a fundraising of €6.2 million (the specific round was not disclosed). Investors in this financing include Seventure Partners and BpiFrance.

LNC Therapeutics plans to use the proceeds from this financing round to develop live biotherapeutic products (LBPs), file an Investigational New Drug (IND) application, and initiate its first clinical trials in 2020. Additionally, the company will advance its research program on Christensenella to explore its mechanism of action and define its final research direction.

Live Biotherapeutic Products (LBPs) are a novel class of live bacteria-based therapeutics designed to prevent and treat various diseases, thereby addressing patients’ medical needs. *Christensenella* was first proposed by researchers in 2012; this genus has demonstrated significant efficacy in the treatment of metabolic disorders and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and has since become a focal point of numerous academic studies.

Currently, LNC Therapeutics has joined the Deeptech program launched by BpiFrance to drive its corporate growth. Introduced in January 2019, this initiative aims to help French startups address technological innovation challenges and enhance France’s competitiveness in the life sciences sector.

It is reported that LNC Therapeutics had previously completed two rounds of financing, raising a total of $10 million. Specifically, the company closed a $3.5 million Series B round in April 2012 and a $6.5 million Series C round in September 2017.

LNC Therapeutics, a biotechnology company founded in 2010 and headquartered in Bordeaux, France, is dedicated to developing innovative therapeutics such as gut microbiota-based drugs and live biotherapeutic products (LBPs) for the treatment of obesity and other metabolic disorders. Since its inception, LNC Therapeutics has secured funding from investors including Seventure Partners and AQUITI Gestion.

To date, LNC Therapeutics is the world’s only biopharmaceutical company developing live biotherapeutic products (LBPs) based on the therapeutic properties of *Christensenella*. The company has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Cornell University in the United States and has proposed two research projects focused on the application of *Christensenella*.

LNC Therapeutics’ LNC 01 project primarily focuses on developing live biotherapeutic products (LBPs) based on *Christensenella* for the treatment of obesity and metabolic diseases, while the LNC 02 project aims to investigate *Christensenella* through LNC Therapeutics’ proprietary research platform and explore its novel therapeutic applications.

Georges Rawadi, CEO of LNC Therapeutics, stated, “We are delighted to have completed this financing round, which demonstrates investors’ confidence in LNC Therapeutics’ unique technology and expertise. Furthermore, we are honored to participate in Bpifrance’s Deeptech program.”

Georges Rawadi further added, “Gut microbiota can play a powerful role in the prevention and treatment of human diseases, and the development of such biologics is a rapidly growing field. In early June, LNC Therapeutics launched a new R&D platform and obtained patent licenses related to the therapeutic applications of Christensenella. We will continue to actively advance our LBP development programs based on gut microbiota.”

Seventure Partners, established in 1997 and headquartered in Paris, France, is a venture capital and private equity firm. The company primarily provides financial support and strategic guidance to enterprises in the fields of communications technology and life sciences, managing approximately €660 million in capital.

BpiFrance, established in 2012 and headquartered in France, is a venture capital and private equity firm. The company primarily invests in artificial intelligence, software development, finance, hardware, the Internet of Things (IoT), and mobile communications to support the economic development of France.

(Compiled by Xu Xiaoxue)