Danish Biotech Alcolase Raises €1.5M to Develop Enzyme Treatment for Alcohol Intolerance in East Asia
Key Insights
Danish biotech startup Alcolase (search) has secured €1.5 million in funding to develop an enzyme-based treatment for ALDH2 deficiency (search), a genetic condition affecting approximately 540 million people in East Asia.
The company's innovative liposomal encapsulation technology aims to break down alcohol in the stomach before it reaches the bloodstream, addressing symptoms like flushing, nausea, and increased cancer (search) risk.
Funding will support the first in vivo study of the technology and commercial launch plans in Singapore and South Korea, where alcohol intolerance (search) is particularly prevalent.
Copenhagen-based biotech startup Alcolase (search) has raised €1.5 million in funding to advance its enzyme-based treatment for alcohol intolerance (search), targeting a massive underserved population in East Asia. The funding round was led by Ada Ventures (search), Delphinus Venture Capital (search), Antler (search), Manigoff Invest (search), and several business angels.
The company is developing a treatment for ALDH2 deficiency (search), a genetic variant that affects approximately 540 million people in East Asia and makes it difficult for the body to break down acetaldehyde, a toxic byproduct of alcohol metabolism. This condition causes symptoms including flushing, nausea, discomfort, and increases the risk of cancer (search) associated with alcohol consumption.
Novel Enzyme Delivery Technology
Alcolase (search)'s approach centers on liposomal encapsulation technology that protects enzymes from stomach acid and keeps them active long enough to break down alcohol before it reaches the bloodstream. This method builds on proven techniques already used in lactose intolerance treatments.
"When you speak to people with alcohol intolerance (search), you realise this is not about wanting to drink more. It is about not being shut out of dinners, work events and family gatherings because of a genetic difference. We want to give people a real choice they are currently denied," says Mikkel Precht, CEO and co-founder of Alcolase (search).
The company was founded in July 2021 by Mikkel Precht, Mads Emil Mikkelsen, and Jeppe Malthe Mikkelsen, who were biotechnology students at the University of Copenhagen and the Technical University of Denmark. Ib Christensen later joined as a fourth co-founder, bringing experience in launching similar products.
Competitive Differentiation
Alcolase (search) distinguishes itself from existing competitors through its stomach-based approach. US-based companies ZBiotics (search) and Cheers (search) use probiotics and supplements to target acetaldehyde after alcohol has already entered the bloodstream, but neither addresses ALDH2 deficiency (search) with an enzyme-based approach in the stomach.
Clinical Development and Market Strategy
The new funding will support Alcolase (search)'s first in vivo study, marking the first time the company's method will be tested in a living system. The investment will also help strengthen the company's patent portfolio and support initial commercial efforts.
Alcolase (search) plans to launch its product first in Singapore, then expand to South Korea, where alcohol intolerance (search) is particularly common. The company will use the funding to build commercial partnerships in both countries.
"Alcolase (search) is exactly the kind of company we look for: a science-led team tackling a problem that affects hundreds of millions of people. We're delighted to support the team as they establish their UK therapeutic subsidiary to develop the wider drug delivery opportunity," says Check Warner, co-founding partner at Ada Ventures (search).
Therapeutic Platform Expansion
To support broader therapeutic applications, Alcolase (search) has established a UK-based subsidiary backed by Ada Ventures (search). This expansion aims to develop the delivery platform for clinical use beyond alcohol intolerance (search) treatment.
Michael Wiatr Aagaard, Partner at Antler (search), commented: "Mikkel and his co-founders have the ambition, scientific expertise and determination required to find a solution to a major health and social issue. This funding is a testament to the commitment of the team as they take their product from Denmark to the rest of the world."
The company currently employs six people and represents a science-led approach to addressing a significant unmet medical need that affects hundreds of millions of people globally, particularly in East Asian populations where social drinking is deeply integrated into business and cultural practices.