Imbria Pharmaceuticals Secures Extended Series B Funding to Advance First-in-Class Cardiovascular Therapy Ninerafaxstat
核心洞察
Imbria Pharmaceuticals (搜索) announced AXA IM Alts (搜索)' participation in an upsized Series B financing round to support clinical development of ninerafaxstat, a first-in-class cardiovascular therapy targeting cardiac energy metabolism (搜索).
The company is advancing ninerafaxstat through the ongoing FORTITUDE-HCM Phase 2b clinical trial for symptomatic non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (搜索), a debilitating condition with no currently approved treatments.
Cardiovascular disease (搜索) remains the world's leading cause of mortality, responsible for more than 20 million deaths annually, highlighting the significant unmet medical need that ninerafaxstat aims to address.
Imbria Pharmaceuticals (搜索) has secured additional funding through an extended Series B financing round, with new investor AXA IM Alts (搜索) joining the company's mission to develop breakthrough cardiovascular therapeutics. The clinical-stage company announced that proceeds will support continued development of ninerafaxstat, its differentiated first-in-class therapy designed to improve cardiac energetics in patients with serious cardiovascular diseases.
Novel Mechanism Targets Cardiac Energy Metabolism
Ninerafaxstat represents a unique approach to cardiovascular treatment by targeting cardiac energy metabolism (搜索). According to Imbria, the therapy functions as a "pipeline-in-a-pill" with broad potential utility, improving cardiac energetics without adverse effects on heart rate, rhythm, left ventricular ejection fraction, or blood pressure. This mechanism of action distinguishes ninerafaxstat from existing cardiovascular treatments and positions it to address multiple cardiovascular conditions.
"The tremendous burden of cardiovascular disease (搜索) demands bold innovation now," said Alvin Shih, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Imbria Pharmaceuticals (搜索). "The extension of our Series B financing reflects strong investor confidence in Imbria's scientific foundation, clinical execution, and the potential of ninerafaxstat to address the growing burden of cardiovascular diseases worldwide."
Phase 2b Trial Addresses Unmet Medical Need
The company is currently advancing ninerafaxstat through the FORTITUDE-HCM Phase 2b clinical trial (NCT07023614), a global, multicenter study evaluating the therapy in patients with symptomatic non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (搜索) (nHCM). This debilitating disease currently has no approved treatments, representing a significant unmet medical need in cardiovascular care.
The trial's focus on nHCM reflects the broader challenge facing cardiovascular medicine, where innovation has lagged behind patient need despite the enormous disease burden. Cardiovascular disease (搜索) remains the world's leading cause of mortality, responsible for more than 20 million lives lost each year and representing one of the greatest global health and economic burdens in both developed and developing countries.
Strategic Investment Partnership
AXA IM Alts (搜索)' participation in the financing brings significant expertise to Imbria's development efforts. As part of the investment, Zina Affas Besse, PhD, Partner and Deputy Head of Healthcare Private Equity of AXA IM Alts, has joined Imbria's Board of Directors. Dr. Affas Besse contributes more than 25 years of healthcare venture capital and operating experience, including leadership roles at Atlas Venture, Orion Healthcare Equity Partners, and AXA IM Alts.
"Imbria's potential to reshape the treatment of cardiovascular diseases globally is both timely and transformative," said Dr. Affas Besse. "At AXA IM Alts (搜索), we are committed to supporting innovations that deliver worldwide impact, and look forward to working with Imbria as they advance ninerafaxstat toward improving outcomes for patients who face limited options today."
The company has also appointed Ken Horne, Managing Partner at AN Ventures (搜索), to its Board of Directors. Mr. Horne brings over 20 years of experience founding, leading, and investing in life science companies to his new role.
"Cardiovascular disease (搜索) is one of the most pressing healthcare challenges of our time, and innovation in this space has lagged far behind need," said Mr. Horne. "AN Ventures (搜索) is proud to partner with Imbria to fundamentally reshape the treatment landscape for patients and families who live with cardiovascular disorders."
Comprehensive Investor Syndicate
With AXA IM Alts (搜索)' participation, Imbria's investor syndicate now includes a comprehensive group of leading healthcare investors: RA Capital (搜索), SV Health Investors (搜索), Deep Track Capital (搜索), AN Ventures (搜索), Catalio Capital Management (搜索), and Cytokinetics (搜索), Inc. This diverse investor base provides both financial resources and strategic expertise to support ninerafaxstat's clinical advancement.
The Boston-area company's approach to cardiovascular therapeutics through cardiac energy metabolism (搜索) represents a potentially transformative strategy for addressing multiple cardiovascular conditions, with the ongoing Phase 2b trial serving as the initial proof-of-concept for this novel therapeutic approach.