Inotrem Secures €39 Million Series B Financing to Advance Chronic Inflammatory Disease Immunotherapy

On September 16, 2019, VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned via Business Wire that biotechnology company Inotrem announced the completion of a €39 million Series B financing round. The round was led by Morningside Ventures, a top-tier global life sciences investor, with participation from Invus, Sofinnova Partners, and BioMed Invest.

Inotrem plans to use the proceeds from this financing round to advance the Phase IIb clinical trial of its lead candidate, Nangibotide, to evaluate its safety and efficacy. Nangibotide is an anti-TREM-1 peptide primarily indicated for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases.

Inotrem, a biotechnology company founded in 2013 and headquartered in Paris, France, was established by Professor Sébastien Gibot, Dr. Marc Derive, and Dr. Jean-Jacques Garaud, former head of Roche Group’s early-stage division. The company specializes in developing immunotherapies targeting the TREM-1 pathway for the treatment of acute and chronic inflammatory syndromes.

TREM-1 is a novel inflammation-triggering receptor discovered in recent years, playing a crucial role in initiating and exacerbating inflammatory responses. Nangibotide is a specific TREM-1 inhibitor that acts as a decoy receptor to interfere with the binding of TREM-1 to its ligand.

Nangibotide is indicated for the treatment of multiple conditions, such as septic shock and myocardial infarction. Septic shock, the ultimate complication of sepsis, has a mortality rate as high as 35% in developed countries. Currently, there are no specific therapies with well-defined mechanisms of action for this condition; Nangibotide has the potential to become the first drug for septic shock with a clearly defined mechanism of action. In preclinical models of septic shock, Nangibotide was shown to mitigate inflammatory responses, restore vascular function, and improve survival rates in animals following septic shock.

The Phase IIb trial of nangibotide in patients with septic shock will be conducted at 48 clinical sites across Europe and the United States. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled dose-selection study aims to compare the clinical efficacy of two different doses of nangibotide.

Jean-Jacques Garaud, CEO of Inotrem, stated: “We are delighted to have the support of a broad base of investors to advance the development of Inotrem’s innovative immunotherapies. This financing underscores the potential of our TREM-1-centric technology platform and our septic shock candidate therapeutic, Nangibotide.”

Dr. Jason Dinges of Morningside Ventures stated, “To date, we have been impressed by Inotrem’s achievements. The company has developed advanced immunomodulatory therapies, providing new treatment options for patients who lack effective therapeutic alternatives.”

Morningside Ventures is a venture capital firm headquartered in Hong Kong, China, with investment portfolios including Sohu, Ctrip, Xunlei, and Xiaomi.

Invus, established in 1985 and headquartered in New York, USA, is a venture capital firm primarily investing in the healthcare and consumer sectors.

Andera Partners, established in 1953 and headquartered in the European Union, is a venture capital and private equity firm specializing in early- and late-stage investments.

Sofinnova Partners, established in July 1972 and headquartered in Paris, France, is an independent venture capital firm. Since its inception, the firm has supported nearly 500 companies at various stages of development, including European enterprises in the technology, life sciences, and clean technology sectors.

BioMed Invest is an investment firm based in Central Europe, primarily investing in the fields of drug development, disease diagnostics, and medical technology.

(Compiled by Xu Xiaoxue)