Noema Pharma, a Switzerland-based neurological disorder drug developer backed by pharmaceutical firm Roche, closed a CHF54m ($59.4m) series A round yesterday.
Life sciences venture capital firm Sofinnova Partners and Polaris Partners co-led the oversubscribed round, which included fellow healthcare investment firm Gilde Healthcare, private equity firm Invus and VC firm BioMed Partners.
Founded in 2019 with an undisclosed amount of seed funding from Sofinnova Partners, Noema is focusing on orphan central nervous system (CNS) diseases triggered by imbalances in neuronal networks, which assemble cellular elements required for motor, sensory and cognitive functioning.
Roche acquired a stake in the company in return for granting it the rights to its four clinical-stage drug candidates, including potential treatments for Tourette syndrome and seizures connected to a rare genetic condition known as tuberous sclerosis complex.
Noema’s chief medical officer, George Garibaldi, said: “The strong clinical and preclinical safety packages generated at Roche will enable us to swiftly pursue a series of clinical programs in orphan CNS indications.
“Our analyses, based on new scientific evidence, have led us to indications upon which we have been building new intellectual property and efficient development and regulatory strategies. Across all our clinical initiatives, we focus on partnering with patients and patient associations to gather their input on what matters to them.”