Navitor Pharmaceuticals, a US-based depression treatment developer backed by pharmaceutical companies EMS, Sanofi, Johnson & Johnson and GlaxoSmithKline, has secured $11.3m in funding, according to a securities filing.
The filing indicates the funding is part of a round Navitor aims to close at $25m, but it did not disclose the identity of the investors.
Formerly known as Caloric Pharmaceuticals, Navitor is developing therapies that target a nutrient-sensing protein complex known as mTORC1 to tackle conditions including depression, muscle wasting and diabetes.
The company’s lead drug candidate, NV-5138, is a potential medication for treatment-resistant depression. The latest capital influx increased its overall funding to $78m since it was founded in 2009, initially securing $10.2m in a 2013 seed round featuring venture capital firm Polaris Partners.
Navitor closed a $23.5m series A round in 2014 featuring Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC and SR One, respective subsidiaries of Johnson & Johnson and GlaxoSmithKline, as well as Polaris Partners, Atlas Venture and Longevity Fund.
Brace Pharma Capital, the strategic investment arm of EMS, co-led Navitor’s $33m series B round in 2015 with unnamed private investors. The round included Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, SR One, Polaris, Atlas, Remeditex Ventures and Sanofi unit Sanofi-Genzyme BioVentures.