Alizé Pharma 3 Secures €67 Million Series A Financing to Advance Rare Endocrine and Metabolic Disease Therapies

On July 31, 2019, VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned from foreign media reports that biotechnology and pharmaceutical company Alizé Pharma 3 announced the completion of a €67 million Series A financing round. The round was led by Life Sciences Partners (LSP), with participation from Novo Ventures, Kurma Partners, Orbimed, Pontifax, Partners Innovation Fund, and InnoBio Fund (InnoBio).

It is reported that Alizé Pharma 3 will use the funds from this financing round to expand its scale, open a branch in Boston, USA, and advance the development of therapeutic drugs for hypoparathyroidism and insulin resistance syndrome.

Alizé Pharma 3, established in 2015 and headquartered in Lyon, France, is a biotechnology and pharmaceutical company. The company primarily focuses on researching protein and peptide structures to develop novel biologics for the treatment of rare diseases in the fields of endocrinology and metabolism. Alizé Pharma 3 boasts an experienced drug development team and mainly operates in Europe and North America. Committed to expanding its global footprint, the company exports innovative drugs to countries and regions worldwide to improve patient outcomes.

Alizé Pharma 3 is one of three companies founded by Dr. Thierry Abribat, a biopharmaceutical expert, with Alizé Pharma and Alizé Pharma 2 having been acquired sequentially by two biopharmaceutical companies.

Currently, Alizé Pharma 3 is conducting two new drug development projects. One is AZP-3601, a parathyroid hormone (PTH) analog designed to treat hypoparathyroidism. This medication has a specific effect on calcium metabolism and can highly meet the clinical treatment needs of patients. The other is AZP-3404, primarily used to treat acute insulin resistance syndrome, which has extremely high morbidity and mortality rates. This drug belongs to the class of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 2 (IGFBP2). Alizé Pharma 3 expects both new drugs to enter the clinical trial phase in 2020.

Dr. Thierry Abribat stated, “We are delighted to have received the support and recognition of international investors. Alizé Pharma 3 remains committed to developing cures for rare diseases in the fields of endocrinology and metabolism. We will accelerate the restructuring of the company and advance the development of our existing novel drug candidates, thereby providing new and effective therapeutic options for patients worldwide.”

Felice Verduyn-Van Weegen, Investment Manager at LSP, stated, “We are highly confident in the two new drug candidates currently under development by Alizé Pharma 3, and we believe that this round of financing will enable Alizé Pharma 3 to mature into a fully established biopharmaceutical company.”

LSP is a private equity firm headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The company focuses on the biotechnology and healthcare industries, with assets under management exceeding €500 million. LSP maintains offices in Amsterdam, Munich (Germany), and Boston (United States), and is one of the largest investors in the life sciences sector in Europe.

Novo Ventures, established in 1999 and headquartered in Denmark, Europe, is a venture capital firm. The company primarily focuses on research advancements in the European medical technology and life sciences sectors, having invested in over 50 companies.

Kurma Partners, founded in 2009 and headquartered in Paris, France, is a venture capital firm. The company primarily invests in the biotechnology, healthcare, health diagnostics, and life sciences sectors, and is one of the key players in medical technology financing transactions in Europe.

OrbiMed, founded in 1989 and headquartered in New York, USA, is a venture capital and private equity firm. The company focuses on investing in the healthcare sector and manages approximately $5 billion in assets. OrbiMed currently oversees the Caduceus Private Investments series of venture capital funds.

Pontifax, established in 2004 and headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, is a venture capital and private equity firm. The company primarily provides funding support and strategic guidance to biopharmaceutical, life sciences, and healthcare enterprises.

Partners Innovation Fund, established in 2007 and headquartered in Boston, USA, is a venture capital and private equity firm. The company is dedicated to advancing industries such as medical technology, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices to improve healthcare quality.

InnoBio, headquartered in France, is a venture capital firm. The company primarily focuses on the biopharmaceutical and medical innovation technology sectors, investing in European startups. InnoBio manages approximately €140 million in assets.

(Compiled by Xu Xiaoxue)