Exciva Secures €51 Million Series B to Advance Alzheimer's Agitation Therapy Deraphan into Phase 2 Trials
Key Insights
Exciva (search) raised €51 million in Series B funding co-led by EQT Life Sciences (search) and Gimv (search) to advance Deraphan (search), a novel combination therapy for agitation (search) associated with Alzheimer's disease (search), into Phase 2 clinical trials.
Neuropsychiatric symptoms (search) including agitation (search) affect up to 90% of patients with severe Alzheimer's disease (search), driving caregiver burden and reduced quality of life, yet therapeutic innovation has lagged behind.
Deraphan (search) demonstrated encouraging safety and tolerability in Phase 1 trials and offers potential for differentiated efficacy compared to current treatments that are limited by boxed warnings and side effects.
Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company Exciva (search) has secured €51 million in Series B financing to advance its lead candidate Deraphan (search) into Phase 2 clinical trials for agitation (search) associated with Alzheimer's disease (search). The funding round was co-led by EQT Life Sciences (search) through its LSP Dementia Fund (search) and Gimv (search), with participation from Fountain Healthcare Partners (search), LifeArc (search), Carma Fund (search), Modi Ventures (search), and returning investors Andera Partners (search) and LBBW (search).
Addressing Critical Unmet Need in Alzheimer's Care
Neuropsychiatric symptoms (search) such as agitation (search) and other behavioral symptoms affect up to 90% of patients with severe Alzheimer's disease (search), driving caregiver burden, healthcare utilization, and reduced quality of life. Despite the scale of the challenge, further compounded by a rapidly aging global population, therapeutic innovation has lagged behind in this critical area.
The Series B funding will support Exciva (search)'s Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating Deraphan (search) across the EU, United States, and Canada. This multi-regional approach underscores the global need for effective treatments addressing behavioral symptoms in Alzheimer's patients.
Novel Combination Therapy Shows Promise
Deraphan (search) represents a differentiated approach to treating agitation (search) in Alzheimer's disease (search). The therapy is a combination of two clinically validated compounds, including one new chemical entity, built on strong scientific and clinical foundations. In Phase 1 trials, Deraphan demonstrated encouraging safety and tolerability profiles.
The compound offers potential for a differentiated efficacy and safety profile relative to current treatment options, which are often limited by boxed warnings, side effects, or inconsistent outcomes. This positioning could address significant limitations in the current therapeutic landscape for Alzheimer's-related behavioral symptoms.
Leadership Perspectives on Clinical Potential
François Conquet, CEO of Exciva (search), expressed confidence in the therapeutic potential: "We are delighted that we could attract funding from both new and existing investors, supporting our belief that our compound is promising. If the results of the Phase 2 trials are positive, it would be a significant milestone in symptomatic treatment options for patients with AD."
Philip Scheltens, MD, PhD, Partner at EQT Life Sciences (search), emphasized the investment rationale: "This investment illustrates the potential of Exciva (search) to bring exciting innovation to a therapeutic area where Alzheimer's patients have limited or no treatment options. We are delighted to co-lead this financing to help to realize Exciva's potential, which stands out for both the quality of its science and the expertise of its team."
Strategic Investment Structure
Following the investment, EQT Life Sciences (search) will maintain active involvement in Exciva (search)'s development through board representation, with Philip Scheltens serving as a Director and Juliette Lee as an Observer to the Board of the Company. This structure reflects the strategic nature of the investment and EQT Life Sciences' commitment to high-impact neuroscience therapeutics.
The successful Series B round positions Exciva (search) to advance through the critical Phase 2 development stage, potentially bringing a much-needed therapeutic option to patients suffering from agitation (search) associated with Alzheimer's disease (search) and their caregivers.