Espoo-based biopharmaceutical company Decentum has announced that it has raised €12 million in a new funding round to continue the clinical development of its birch pollen allergy vaccine.
The company’s lead product candidate, birch pollen hypoallergen DM-101PX, is currently being evaluated in clinical studies in Canada.
DM-101PX is expected to be a treatment for birch pollen allergy. It contains DM-101, a modified birch pollen allergen with reduced allergenic properties. The drug is designed for subcutaneous injection, and its formulation ensures controlled release of the active ingredient.
Decentum aims to reduce the number of injections needed to treat birch hay fever while maintaining efficacy.
Investor!
The investment was led by Springvest Oyj.
Founded in 2012, Springvest serves the financing needs of Finnish growth companies and provides investment opportunities to a wide range of investors beyond traditional angel and private equity investors.
Pekka Mattila, founder of Desentum, said of the collaboration with Springvest: Their operating model is efficient and saves us time.
“It is impossible for us alone to reach so many investors. Over the years, Springvest has grown into a comprehensive investment services company that can attract even large investors.”
capital utilization
Decentum plans to use the majority of the funds to continue clinical development of its birch pollen allergy vaccine and complete preclinical testing of its peanut allergy vaccine.
Founder Mattila said: “This study evaluates the safety and tolerability of 10 weekly doses of DM-101PX in adults with birch pollen allergies, and aims to improve allergic symptoms by controlling exposure to birch pollen. We are evaluating the effectiveness of treatment.”
“Although the study is still ongoing, we are already seeing very promising preliminary results both in terms of safety and allergy symptom relief. We look forward to completing the study and analyzing the final results.” I am.”
Decentum is also developing additional immunotherapeutic vaccine candidates in the preclinical stage, with a focus on hypoallergens to treat peanut and grass pollen allergies.
Mattila added: “The same approach we used to develop the birch pollen allergy vaccine can also be used to design and manufacture immunotherapeutic vaccines to treat other allergies.”
“Birch hay fever’s next target is peanut allergy. This is one of the most common food allergies and can cause life-threatening allergic reactions. There is now a safe and effective treatment for peanut allergy. It is highly sought after.”
Overview of Degentum
Founded in 2011 by Pekka Mattila, Desentum develops hypoallergens for new immunotherapeutics, commonly known as allergy vaccines.
Hypoallergens are allergen proteins produced and modified by biotechnology to improve the efficiency of allergen immunotherapy and reduce the time required for treatment.
The company’s focus on allergen protein modification is aimed at improving the efficiency and shortening the treatment duration of allergen immunotherapy for various allergies.
Desentum is a spin-off from VTT Technical Research Center of Finland Ltd. In 2018, we won a €1.9 million grant from Horizon 2020 SME Instruments for first-in-human clinical trials and business development. In January 2022, the Finnish startup raised 8 million euros from Springvest Oyj.