Aplagon Raises €4.8M to Expand APAC Antithrombotic Therapy into Phase II Trial for AVF Maturation Failure
核心洞察
Aplagon (搜索) closed a €4.8 million financing round led by Fåhraeus Startup and Growth AB (搜索) and the EIC Fund to broaden its Phase II clinical programs.
The company has filed a clinical trial application with the EMA to evaluate APAC (搜索) in arteriovenous fistula maturation failure (搜索) in end-stage kidney disease (搜索) patients.
APAC (搜索) is a first-in-class antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy that mimics mast cell-derived heparin proteoglycans (搜索), localizing to vascular injury sites for sustained antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory activity.
Aplagon (搜索), a Helsinki-based clinical-stage biotechnology company, has closed a €4.8 million (approximately USD 5.6 million) financing round to support the expansion of its lead candidate APAC (搜索) into a new Phase II clinical program targeting arteriovenous fistula (AVF) maturation failure in patients with end-stage kidney disease (搜索). The company has recently filed a clinical trial application with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the AVF program.
The financing was led by existing investors Fåhraeus Startup and Growth AB (搜索) (FSG) and the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund, with continued backing from Finnish investors including the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Innovestor, and the Gösta Serlachius Fine Arts Foundation. To date, Aplagon (搜索) has raised over €20 million through equity financing and non-dilutive funding.
"This financing represents another important milestone for Aplagon (搜索) as we continue to build momentum around APAC (搜索) and its potential across a broad range of serious thrombo-inflammatory diseases," said Aki Prihti, CEO of Aplagon. "The continued backing from our experienced healthcare investors validates both the strength of our clinical progress and the growing recognition of APAC's differentiated mechanism of action that overcomes the limits of current treatments."
APAC (搜索)'s Differentiated Mechanism of Action
APAC (搜索) is designed to mimic naturally occurring mast cell-derived heparin proteoglycans (搜索) — molecules that help regulate coagulation and inflammatory responses in damaged blood vessels. The therapy localizes directly to sites of vascular injury, delivering sustained antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory activity where vessel damage, platelet activation, and inflammation contribute to poor outcomes.
Unlike conventional antithrombotics, APAC (搜索) offers dual antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory activity, which the company believes provides advantages in vascular diseases driven by both thrombosis and inflammation. More than 70 participants have received APAC to date, with no significant safety concerns observed. The therapy is intended for in-hospital use and can be administered either locally or by intravenous infusion.
Johanna Asklin, General Partner at FSG, commented: "Aplagon (搜索) is addressing a major unmet need in thrombo-inflammatory disease with a highly differentiated therapeutic approach that has the potential to transform outcomes across several vascular indications. Since our initial investment, the company has continued to execute strongly, advancing clinical development while further demonstrating the broad applicability of APAC (搜索)."
Addressing AVF Maturation Failure
AVF maturation failure represents a significant clinical challenge in haemodialysis. Arteriovenous fistulas are surgically created connections between an artery and a vein that allow repeated vascular access for dialysis, but many fail to mature sufficiently for long-term use. Aplagon (搜索) estimates that approximately 130,000 new AVFs are created annually in the United States alone, with around half failing to mature adequately. Failure can lead to repeat procedures, hospitalization, and higher healthcare costs.
Aplagon (搜索) believes APAC (搜索)'s localized vascular protective effects could significantly improve AVF maturation outcomes by reducing platelet activation and vascular injury immediately following surgery. The company sees substantial potential for APAC not only in AVF maturation failure but more broadly across vascular interventions where thrombosis and inflammation drive poor clinical outcomes.
Expanding Phase II Strategy
The new AVF program broadens Aplagon (搜索)'s Phase II strategy beyond chronic limb-threatening ischemia (搜索) (CLTI), a severe form of peripheral arterial occlusive disease (搜索). In March 2026, the company announced first patient dosing in the Phase IIa HEALING trial in peripheral arterial occlusive disease leading to CLTI. That study is enrolling up to 42 patients across four cohorts in Finland and is designed to assess preliminary safety, efficacy, and thrombo-inflammatory biomarker effects of intravenous APAC (搜索) in CLTI patients, including those with and without revascularization.
APAC (搜索) is based on pioneering research on mast cell-derived heparin proteoglycans (搜索) performed by Professor Riitta Lassila and associates at the Wihuri Research Institute in Helsinki, Finland. Aplagon (搜索)'s two lead indications are now AVF maturation failure and CLTI, both hospital-based settings in which APAC could be administered locally or by intravenous infusion.