German Biopharma Vasopharm Secures €9.5M Funding to Advance Ronopterin (VAS203) for Traumatic Brain Injury

Recently, VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned from foreign media reports that the biopharmaceutical company Vasopharm GmbH (Vasopharm) announced the completion of a €9.5 million financing round (the specific round was not disclosed). The round was led by Heidelberg Capital Private Equity and EF Investments (EF), with participation from Bayern Kapital, Future Capital, Hanseatic Asset Management, and Rington Holdings. The company also announced that Christian Leikert, a partner at Creathor Ventures, will join the Board of Directors of Vasopharm.

Vasopharm will use the funds from this financing round to conduct chemical analysis and stability testing of its lead drug, Ronopterin (VAS203), explore its indications, and prepare for scaling up production.

It is reported that Vasopharm has previously completed six rounds of financing, raising a total of over $63 million. Notably, the company closed its €20 million Series G round in January 2016 and its $11.8 million Series B round in January 2006.

Vasopharm, founded in 1998, is a biopharmaceutical company based in Bavaria, Germany, initially affiliated with the University of Würzburg School of Medicine. The company primarily focuses on developing therapeutics for central nervous system (CNS) disorders by leveraging targeted research into nitric oxide signaling pathways to explore novel approaches for treating acute CNS inflammation. Nitric oxide is a cellular signaling molecule involved in various physiological and pathological processes.

Vasopharm’s flagship product, VAS203, is indicated for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). The drug is currently in the NOSTRA III trial phase, which primarily evaluates the therapeutic efficacy and safety profile of VAS203 in TBI treatment, representing the world’s most advanced pharmacological TBI program. The NOSTRA III phase involves clinical trials in human subjects, with volunteer enrollment expected to be completed by December this year.

VAS203 is an analog of the natural cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin and a novel allosteric inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). By inhibiting NOS activity, this drug rapidly reduces nitric oxide (NO) levels in cerebral blood vessels, thereby preventing elevated intracranial pressure and inflammatory responses associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI). VAS203 has a favorable safety profile and demonstrates significant clinical efficacy; it has been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as an orphan drug for the treatment of moderate to severe brain injury. Current management strategies for acute TBI primarily focus on improving short-term patient survival rates and minimizing drug-related adverse effects.

Christian Wandersee, CEO of Vasopharm, stated, “This round of financing will be used to support the NOSTRA III trial of VAS203, enabling the company to meet its 2020 milestone for delivering clinical data and thereby improving treatment outcomes for patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). We welcome Creathor Ventures as a new partner in Vasopharm’s continued growth.”

Heidelberg Capital, established in 2007 and headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany, is an independent investment firm. Its investment targets include startups, small and medium-sized family-owned businesses, and mature enterprises with a certain scale of operations. Heidelberg Capital has invested in MerLion Pharma, an antibiotic R&D company, and 4SC, an anticancer drug R&D company, to promote the development of active pharmaceutical ingredients. In addition to providing financial support to startups, Heidelberg Capital also assists them in making strategic decisions.

EF, headquartered in Europe, is a private investment firm that provides financial services to companies.

Bayern Kapital, established in 1995 and headquartered in Bavaria, Germany, is a venture capital firm. The company primarily invests in the software, life sciences, new materials, and environmental technology sectors, assisting portfolio companies with product development and market share expansion. Bayern Kapital has invested in more than 250 companies and manages assets totaling €340 million.

Future Capital, established in 1992 and headquartered in Virginia, USA, is a private investment firm. With a seasoned team of investment professionals, the company is dedicated to investing in technology startups and publicly listed companies. In addition to providing capital, Future Capital offers management advice and strategic guidance to its portfolio companies.

Hanseatic, headquartered in the United Kingdom, is an investment management and advisory firm that primarily invests in illiquid assets such as private equity. The company’s investment funds include the Hansa Global Equity Fund and the Hansa Harbour Fund, and it also owns a trust investment subsidiary, Hansa Trust.

Rington Holdings is a private venture capital firm. In August 2010, Activaeon, an information technology development company, received a £200,000 seed funding round from Rington Holdings. Activaeon is a leading provider of Microsoft Services Provider License Agreement (SPLA) reporting solutions.

(Compiled by Xu Xiaoxue)