LNC Therapeutics raises €6.5m to reinforce its R&D in the microbiota field
29 Sep 2017 --- LNC Therapeutics, a company specialized in the research and development of gut microbiota directed drugs for the treatment of obesity and associated cardiometabolic diseases, has raised a €6.5 million (US$7.67 million) Series C funding round. This new round, co-led by Seventure Partners, brings together a consortium of investors and a family office. Additionally, the company has appointed a new chief scientific officer, Dr. Sandrine Claus, to lead the gut microbiota project.
“This funding round of €6.5 million establishes LNC Therapeutics as a key player in the treatment of obesity and metabolic disorders through an action on the gut microbiota,” explains Jean-Luc Treillou, LNC therapeutics’ CEO.
“Our recent clinical trial on obese patients indicated that visceral fat loss in this population was correlated with a modulation of the gut microbiota, specifically with a bacterial family known for its anti-obesity potential,” Treillou adds.
“Hence, our current objective is to develop new drug candidates whose mechanism of action requires interaction with the gut microbiota and the intestinal membrane. Targeted therapeutic indications include pathologies caused by excessive visceral fat accumulation and chronic inflammation such as obesity and NASH.”
“The presentation of our development plan is scheduled in the first quarter of 2018 and will include targets and project milestones,” Caroline Bernard, Strategic Development Project Manager at LNC Therapeutics, tells NutritionInsight.
Regarding the populations LNC Therapeutics intends to target its research on, Bernard adds that LNC will indeed focus on some specific (but still large) sub-populations to maximize clinical outcomes, but did not provide further details on these sub-populations.
New CSO
Newly appointed Chief Scientific Officer Sandrine Claus, Ph.D., is Associate Professor in Integrative Metabolism at the University of Reading, which she joined in 2010. Its research focuses on the host-gut microbial metabolic interactions to link gut microbial ecology to metabolic health.
Claus’ mission within LNC Therapeutics will be leading the ambitious R&D pipeline and the development of new treatments in the field of cardiometabolic diseases and other fields of investigation relating to the bioactivity of some peptides.
“It is with great pleasure that I am joining LNC Therapeutics and its dynamic team. It is an exciting time to join a company which owns a large pipeline of innovative patents related to gut microbiota activity, aimed at improving health outcomes,” comments Sandrine Claus.
“Our new CSO, Dr. Sandrine Claus, Ph.D., who is an expert on the role of gut microbiota in the development of metabolic disorders, is a strategic recruitment. Our strategic plan now has to be delivered and will drive us to an IPO by the end of 2019,” concludes Jean-Luc Treillou.
“We are pleased to participate in this new round and to have syndicated the Series C with other ‘deep pocket’ investors. LNC Therapeutics, a company we have supported since the Series A, chose to remain discreet over the last two years in the booming universe of the microbiome, to gain a foothold and consolidate its competitive position. LNC Therapeutics is complementing our portfolio of microbiome champions, consisting of companies that are advanced in their research,” adds Isabelle de Crémoux, CEO of Seventure Partners and founder of Health For Life Capital.
By Lucy Gunn
