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Fundraisings and IPOs

Date: 2018-07-23

Type of information: Financing round

Company: Azafaros (The Netherlands)

Investors: BioGeneration Ventures (The Netherlands)

Amount:

Funding type: seed financing round

Planned used:

  • Azafaros is a spin-off from Leiden University and Amsterdam UMC (location AMC). The company aims at developing therapeutic agents for the treatment of rare metabolic disorders such as lysosomal storage disorders through oral administration of aza-sugar compounds. These novel agents were discovered by Professor Hans Aerts at Leiden University and Amsterdam UMC and are exclusively licensed to Azafaros.
  • With its proprietary small molecule compounds, Azafaros will concentrate on new treatments for patients suffering from LSDs and LSD-related diseases. These compounds interfere with the metabolism of glycolipids that is disturbed in these patients and are intended to counteract the underlying pathological effects.
  • Azafaros holds an exclusive license from Leiden University and Amsterdam UMC (location AMC) to a library of novel compounds and patents that were discovered by Professor Hans Aerts and his co-workers at Amsterdam UMC and Leiden University. Through a broad research collaboration Azafaros will benefit from the vast experience of the group led by Professor Hans Aerts to progress the technology.
 

Others:

  • • On July 23, 2018, Azafaros, a biotech company established in Leiden in the Netherlands, focusing on the development of new therapies in the field of rare metabolic disorders, announced the closing of a seed financing round. BioGeneration Ventures (BGV) is the founding investor.
  • Olivier Morand, Ph.D. and IMD alumnus, is joining Azafaros as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and member of the Board of Directors. Olivier Morand, a senior leader in pharma strategic development for early- and late-phase products, brings many years of hand-on experience and know-how in rare metabolic disorders and orphan drugs. He has a very strong industry track record most recently at Idorsia Pharmaceuticals, and before that at Actelion Pharmaceuticals and Hoffmann-La Roche. In his early career, he held various roles in academic institutions such as INSERM Paris, the University of Wisconsin Madison, the Hadassah Medical School Jerusalem and the Mount Sinai Medical School New York. With this, Olivier Morand brings a broad scientific, clinical and regulatory experience as well as business insights to the Azafaros team.
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Therapeutic area: Rare diseases - Genetic diseases - Metabolic diseases

Is general: Yes