Inflazome Secures $1M Funding to Advance NLRP3-Targeted Small Molecule Therapies and PET Tracer Development for Inflammatory Diseases

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that on March 25, 2019, the biotechnology company Inflazome secured over $1 million in funding. This capital, provided by the Michael J. Fox Foundation, will be used to support the company’s research into NLRP3-specific positron emission tomography (PET) tracers.

PET tracers can rapidly and accurately generate non-invasive images, helping researchers determine specific drug dosages for patients in clinical trials. Inflazome aims to develop PET tracers to visualize the binding of its drug to inflammasomes in the brain.

To date, Inflazome has secured three rounds of financing. In 2018, the company raised €40 million in Series B funding, led by Forbion IV Fund.

Inflazome, founded in 2016, is a biotechnology company based in Dublin, Ireland, dedicated to developing novel therapeutics for inflammatory diseases. Currently, the company is developing small-molecule drugs by targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome, aiming to block its activity to treat inflammation-driven conditions. The company has developed a compound named MCC950, which has demonstrated promising therapeutic efficacy in animal models of Parkinson’s disease.

Inflammation is a complex biological response of cells to microbial infections, external stimuli, and endogenous tissue damage; it can both protect the body and cause irreversible harm. Inflammasomes are key drivers of inflammation. Among them, the NLRP3 inflammasome contributes to the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Matt Cooper, Co-founder and CEO of Inflazome, stated: “Inflazome is dedicated to helping patients with Parkinson’s disease and other debilitating neurodegenerative disorders that currently have no cure. The Michael J. Fox Foundation is passionate about developing novel therapies for Parkinson’s disease, and its funding will help us develop new diagnostic technologies and treatments for these patients.”

Jamie Eberling, Director of Research Programs at the Michael J. Fox Foundation, stated, “PET tracers are imaging tools that visualize neuroinflammation, facilitating Inflazome’s research into the pathogenesis and progression of Parkinson’s disease. The company’s drug development program holds significant implications for patients with Parkinson’s disease, which is why we decided to invest in it.”

The Michael J. Fox Foundation, established in 2000 and headquartered in New York State, USA, is a trust fund and non-profit organization dedicated to finding treatments for Parkinson’s disease by funding healthcare companies.

(Compiled by Jiao Yanli)