- Andera Partners, seed and Series A lead investor in 2021, reinvests in Exciva as part of a Series B round led by Gimv and EQT Life Sciences, with further participation from new and existing investors
- Funding will advance Exciva’s lead program into a Phase 2 clinical study for agitation in Alzheimer’s disease
Andera Partners, a leading European private equity player, today announced that it participated in the €51 million ($59 million) Series B financing round of its portfolio company Exciva GmbH, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutic compounds for the treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions. The financing was led by Gimv and EQT Life Sciences, with further participation from new investors Fountain Healthcare Partners, LifeArc Ventures, Carma Fund and Modi VC, as well as additional existing investor LBBW.
The proceeds will primarily fund a phase 2 study evaluating Deraphan’s therapeutic potential for treating agitation in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Deraphan is the combination of two clinically validated products, including one novel chemical entity (NCE), which have demonstrated activity in the CNS field, with the potential to offer better efficacy and risk/benefit ratio than existing therapies. The clinical trial will be conducted in Europe, the UK, the US and Canada. A phase 1 trial with Deraphan has been successfully completed and showed that the combination is safe and well-tolerated.
“We are delighted that we could attract funding from both existing and new investors. This confirms that our product is highly promising,” said François Conquet, CEO of Exciva. “If the results of the phase 2 trial are positive, it will be a significant step forward in symptomatic treatment options for patients with Alzheimer’s disease.”
Raphaël Wisniewski, Partner at Andera Partners, added: “As founding investors of Exciva, we are thrilled to see this significant fundraising led by a blue-chip set of European investors. We look forward to continuing our support as the company advances its differentiated drug candidate into a large phase 2/3 trial targeting agitation in Alzheimer’s disease, a condition with a major unmet medical need.”
Following the Series B, the board of directors will be composed of Raphaël Wisniewski (Andera Partners), Philip Scheltens (EQT Life Sciences), Andreas Jurgeit (Gimv), Aidan King (Fountain Healthcare), Vikram Sudarsan (independent Board member) and François Conquet (CEO).