Enyo Pharma, a Lyon, France-based clinical stage biotech company developing innovative drug candidates by mimicking virus strategies to modulate host cellular functions, completed a €40m in Series B financing.
The round was led by OrbiMed, followed by Andera Partners (previously EDRIP), Bpifrance Large Venture and existing shareholders Sofinnova Private Capital VII, Morningside Venture Investments, InnoBio and Inserm Transfert Initiative. In conjunction with the funding, Dr Iain Dukes, a Venture Partner with OrbiMed, will now join the Board of Directors. Other representatives from Andera Partners, Bpifrance Large Venture and OrbiMed will be observers to the Board of Directors, with Raphaël Wisniewski, Laurent Higueret and Carl Gordon, respectively.
The company intends to use the funds to pursue the Phase II clinical development of its lead FXR agonist EYP001 in two indications, chronic hepatitis B (HBV) and NASH, during 2018 and 2019.
Led by Jacky Vonderscher, CEO, Enyo is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing new small molecule therapeutics in various therapeutic areas. Its lead candidate, EYP001, is an orally bioavailable small molecule currently being evaluated in phase Ib in patients with chronic hepatitis B. It is a synthetic non-steroidal, non-bile acid FXR agonist with a very good tolerability profile. Two phase II clinical trials are planned to start before end of 2018 in chronically HBV infected patients and in NASH patients.
Enyo Pharma’s second asset, EYP002, is a new chemical series which should enter IND enabling studies in H2 2018. Initially developed using inhibition of influenza replication as a phenotypic assay, molecules modulate a small family of proteins known to regulate mitochondrial metabolism and stress responses.
The company has also a subsidiary in Melbourne, Australia.
FinSMEs
04/06/2018