Hemastatx, a recently established spin-off from KU Leuven, has developed a revolutionary therapy that addresses the underlying cause of a severe bleeding disorder affecting an estimated 100,000 patients hospitalized annually worldwide. The company represents the first to propose a treatment capable of correcting defects in von Willebrand factor (vWF), a key protein involved in blood clotting.
Founded earlier this year, Hemastatx builds on over a decade of research by the Laboratory for Thrombosis Research at KU Leuven Kulak in Kortrijk, Belgium, under the guidance of Professor Karen Vanhoorelbeke. The company is targeting patients who suffer from a malfunction of the von Willebrand factor, which plays a critical role in stopping bleeding by helping blood platelets adhere to damaged vessel walls.
Novel Mechanism of Action
When vWF is defective or degraded too rapidly, patients are at high risk of spontaneous and potentially life-threatening internal bleeding, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract. The defect may result from a congenital genetic mutation or from increased frictional forces in the bloodstream, such as after the implantation of a heart pump.
Current treatments mainly focus on managing symptoms through blood transfusions, plasma products or endoscopic interventions, which have limited effectiveness. Hemastatx takes a fundamentally different approach by tackling the disease mechanism itself.
"Our novel antibody therapy binds to and inhibits ADAMTS13, a 'molecular scissor' that tightly controls the size and function of von Willebrand factor," explains Dr Kevin Hollevoet, CEO and co-founder of Hemastatx. "In our target patient population, ADAMTS13 is excessively active, breaking down von Willebrand factor prematurely and disabling its clotting function. By blocking ADAMTS13, our antibody preserves von Willebrand factor (vWF) activity, restores haemostasis, and halts bleeding episodes."
Research Foundation and Development
The foundations for the new therapy were laid over the past ten years in collaboration with researcher Shannen Deconinck and valorization manager Nick Geukens. Support from KU Leuven Research & Development and the Industrial Research Fund played a crucial role, including through incubation funding and in guiding the transition from fundamental research to spin-off creation.
"Within our research group, we have spent the last decade laying the foundation for Hemastatx: from unraveling the molecular workings of ADAMTS13 to developing a targeted antibody," said Professor Karen Vanhoorelbeke. "Translating basic research to the patient requires a lot of effort, time and resources. So it gives us enormous satisfaction that this early scientific breakthrough is now growing into a potential drug that we hope will really improve the lives of people with severe bleeding disorders."
International Investment and Strategic Positioning
The spin-off recently secured its first investment round from an international group of backers, including BaseLaunch (a Swiss biotech accelerator), the Butterfly Fund (affiliated with the Walloon investment company Sambrinvest) and KU Leuven's own seed capital fund, the Gemma Frisius Fund. Co-funded by internationally renowned pharmaceutical companies and venture capital investors, BaseLaunch selected Hemastatx from several hundreds of biotech projects.
"This investment will allow us to accelerate the further development of our ADAMTS13 antibody, to strengthen the preclinical data package and to prepare plans for clinical trials," said Hollevoet. "At the same time, together with the scientific co-founders, we will expand Hemastatx to develop a broader portfolio of drugs in bleeding disorders."
With R&D activities at BioPark Charleroi, a collaboration with KU Leuven, and headquarters in Basel, Hemastatx aims to become a leader in hematology. "Our presence in strategically important biotech hubs provides direct access to specialized knowledge, investors and collaboration partners," says Hollevoet. "That network is invaluable in getting our drug candidate to patients as quickly as possible."
