Netherlands-based cardiometabolic disease drug developer NewAmsterdam Pharma closed a $196m series A round yesterday that included healthcare provider Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and clinical research organisation Medpace.
Morningside Ventures and Ascendant BioCapital co-led the round, which also featured Forbion, BVF Partners, Population Health Partners, LSP Dementia Fund, Janus Henderson Investors, GL Capital, JVC Investment Partners, Presight Capital and angel investor Peter Thiel.
NewAmsterdam is working on treatments for cardiometabolic diseases, a disease class that include cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
The startup’s lead product candidate, obicetrapib, is a small molecule drug intended to inhibit cholesteryl ester transfer proteins. It targets the Apolipoprotein B protein and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c).
Oobicetrapib was secured by NewAmsterdam in April 2020 when it bought Dezima Pharma from Amgen, the pharmaceutical firm that had acquired it five years earlier. The company expects to complete phase 2b clinical testing of the candidate next month, with phase 3 trials slated to begin in April.
The startup secured the right to its lead product candidate, obicetrapib, in April 2020 when it acquired Dezima Pharma from Amgen, the pharmaceutical firm that had acquired it five years earlier.
Michael Davidson, NewAmsterdam’s CEO, said: “The tremendous support of our investors allows us to initiate a large, phase 3 development program as we work to create a new option for the millions of high cardiovascular risks patients globally who, despite maximally tolerated statin therapy, require additional LDL-c lowering options.”
