PENTIXAPHARM Secures € 15 Million Series A Financing to Develop CXCR4-Targeted Theranostics
Funding will be used for phase I / phase II trials of the lead program PentixaTher/ PentixaFor
Würzburg (Germany), February 6th, 2020 – PentixaPharm announced today to have secured € 15 million in a series A financing round led by ELSA Eckert Life Science Accelerator.
PentixaPharm GmbH, a joint venture of Scintomics GmbH and 1717 Life Science Ventures GmbH, is committed to develop PentixaFor and PentixaTher as a theranostic radiopharmaceutical pair, specifically targeting the CXCR4-receptor expressed in most fast progressing diseases, particularly malignant cancers. Funding is dedicated for a phase II trial of the imaging compound PentixaFor and for a phase I trial of the therapeutic compound PentixaTher in Central Nervous System (CNS) Lymphoma while supporting proof-of-concept studies in various other indications.
Interviews:
"With the renowned expertise of the PentixaPharm team, the company is well positioned to bring the lead-compounds PentixaFor and PentixaTher with an effective clinical development program to the next level. We are thrilled to accompany this venture.”, says Phillip Eckert, Responsible Programme Manager and Partner at ELSA.
“Scintomics is very excited about this new partnership marking another important milestone towards a strong positioning of PentixaPharm as radiopharmaceutical development specialist”, comments Saskia Kropf, CEO of Scintomics. Prof. Hans-Jürgen Wester, founder of Scintomics, adds: “We are enthusiastic by this round A financing to advance the CXCR4 program. Preclinical and clinical data so far have demonstrated encouraging evidence and good potential for targeted cancer therapies. Now with the experienced development team of PentixaPharm, we are sure to quickly establish this theranostic approach towards meaningful clinical trials.”
“We are delighted that in ELSA we have found a strong financing partner with an outstanding expertise in the radiopharmaceutical field. The proceeds of the series A financing will enable us to bring a new treatment for CNS Lymphoma, up to today a disease with limited treatment options, a little closer to patients in need”, adds Anna Steeger, Co-founder of 1717 LSV GmbH and CEO of PentixaPharm.
About PentixaFor / PentixaTher
This theranostic pair specifically targets the CXCR4-CXCR12 axis, which is significantly involved in the interaction and proliferation of hematologic and solid tumors and their protective environment. The [68Ga]Gallium based PET agent PentixaFor has demonstrated advanced imaging not only for several different hematologic indications – including leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma – but also for solid tumors like adrenocortical carcinoma and small cell lung cancer. In addition, other disease conditions, such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, splenosis and stroke can be visualised with this tracer. The therapeutic counterpart PentixaTher, labeled with α- or β-emitters, offers new treatment options for individualised medicine in terms of endoradiotherapy.
About ELSA Eckert Life Science Accelerator
ELSA, a subsidiary of Eckert Wagniskapital und Frühphasenfinanzierung, is a Berlin-based life science incubator with over two decades of experience in the venture capital industry. ELSA invests primarily in start-up companies, which are in need of first-round venture capital financing and actively supports them during the transformation process from start-ups into mature companies.
About Scintomics GmbH
Scintomics, based in Fuerstenfeldbruck/Munich, is a privately held company for innovative-targeted theranostics and corresponding radiopharmaceutical technologies with a strong commitment towards personalised cancer care with an exceptional pipeline of functional diagnostics and radiotherapeutics.
About 1717 LSV GmbH
1717 LSV, based in Berlin, is a privately held company with expertise in the development of precision radiopharmaceuticals for the targeted diagnosis and treatment of malignant oncological diseases. By enabling novel radiopharmaceutical therapies to traverse early stages of manufacturing and clinical development, 1717 LSV brings innovative drug candidates to patients with unmet medical needs.
Contacts
Anne Lobach, Executive Assistant, PentixaPharm GmbH
anne.lobach@pentixapharm.com