Revier Therapeutics Launches with €6M Seed Financing to Pioneer Class IIa HDAC Inhibitors for Cardiometabolic Disease
核心洞察
Revier Therapeutics (搜索) closed a €6 million seed financing led by KHAN Technology Transfer Fund II (搜索), with participation from High-Tech Gründerfonds (搜索), VORNvc, and private investors through Revier Invest Heidelberg.
The company has established the first therapeutic approach to selectively target class IIa histone deacetylases (搜索) (HDACs) for cardiometabolic diseases, with lead programs in HFpEF and ASCVD.
Revier's orally available small molecules are designed to inhibit disease-driving enzymatic activity while preserving beneficial biological functions and sparing class I HDACs, aiming to avoid dose-limiting toxicities of earlier broad inhibitors.
Revier Therapeutics (搜索) ("Revier" or "the Company") announced the closing of a EUR 6 million seed financing and the launch of its operations in Heidelberg, Germany. The company has established what it describes as the first therapeutic approach to selectively target class IIa histone deacetylases (搜索) (HDACs) for the treatment of cardiometabolic diseases. The financing was led by the KHAN Technology Transfer Fund II (搜索), with participation from High-Tech Gründerfonds (搜索) (HTGF), VORNvc, and private investors through Revier Invest Heidelberg.
Funding from the round will support development of Revier's preclinical cardiometabolic pipeline, including its lead program in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (搜索) (HFpEF) and its second program in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (搜索) (ASCVD), as well as the build-out of its operational, scientific, and clinical functions.
A Selective Approach to HDAC Inhibition
HDACs are enzymes that regulate the acetylation of proteins involved in gene expression and other cellular processes, and they play a functional role in a variety of severe diseases. Earlier, first-generation HDAC inhibitors generally blocked several enzyme classes, producing broad biological effects and dose-limiting toxicities.
Revier is developing orally available small molecules designed to block the disease-associated enzymatic activity of class IIa HDACs while preserving their other biological functions. The compounds are also intended to spare class I HDACs, which are affected by many older inhibitors. This distinction is central to Revier's strategy: class IIa HDACs can perform beneficial structural and regulatory functions even when one part of their enzymatic activity contributes to disease.
"While first generation HDAC inhibitors broadly targeted multiple HDAC classes resulting in dose-limiting side effects, Revier's first-in-class small molecules selectively target class IIa HDACs," said Prof. Johannes Backs, MD, scientific founder of Revier Therapeutics (搜索). "These compounds specifically inhibit the disease-driving enzymatic activity while preserving the essential functions of class IIa HDACs and canonical class I HDACs. This precise mode of action is designed to be therapeutically effective while maintaining a beneficial safety profile."
Targeting HFpEF and ASCVD
Revier's lead programme targets heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (搜索) (HFpEF), a complex condition associated with obesity, inflammation, fibrosis, and metabolic dysfunction. A second programme focuses on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (搜索) (ASCVD). The company has not disclosed its development candidates or a timeline for entering clinical trials.
"Despite significant progress in cardiovascular medicine, millions of patients with HFpEF and ASCVD still to date face limited targeted treatment options," said Prof. Eva van Rooij, PhD, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Revier Therapeutics (搜索). "We believe the next generation of cardiometabolic medicines needs to address the underlying disease-driving biology to deliver impactful and long-term solutions for patients. Our mission is to translate the scientific potential of class IIa HDAC inhibition into a pipeline of novel therapies and rapidly advance our lead programs toward the clinic to create long-term value for both patients and the broader healthcare ecosystem."
Scientific Foundation and Leadership
The company builds on cardiovascular research led by scientific founder Johannes Backs at Heidelberg University. Pioneering discoveries, including foundational work at Heidelberg University led by Prof. Backs, defined the specific impact of class IIa HDACs on cardiometabolic diseases. Recent preclinical work linked class IIa HDAC activity to HFpEF and found that selective inhibition could reverse diastolic dysfunction and exercise intolerance in animal models.
In conjunction with the company launch, Revier announced its leadership team, bringing together experts in cardiovascular science, drug discovery, clinical development, and biotechnology. Prof. Johannes Backs, MD, serves as Scientific Founder and is Director of the Institute of Experimental Cardiology at Heidelberg University, Director (interim) of the Helmholtz Institute for Translational AngioCardioScience (HI-TAC), and Professor of the German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK).
Prof. Eva van Rooij, PhD, is Chief Executive Officer, a serial biotechnology entrepreneur and Professor of Molecular Cardiology at University Medical Center Utrecht. Mike Nolan, PhD, serves as Chief Technology Officer and is a corresponding author of the initial publications describing selective class IIa HDAC inhibitors, with more than 20 years of industry experience. Matthias Dewenter, MD, is Chief Scientific Officer, and Prof. Norbert Frey, MD, serves as Chief Medical Officer and is Director of the Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Pneumology at Heidelberg University Hospital.
"Revier's differentiated class IIa HDAC strategy in cardiometabolic disease has the potential to unlock the therapeutic promise of HDAC biology while overcoming limitations associated with earlier class I HDAC approaches," said Michael Hamacher, PhD, Managing Partner and CFO at KHAN Technology Transfer Fund II (搜索). "Combined with an exceptional leadership team and deep scientific expertise, the company has a unique opportunity to deliver disease-modifying medicines and reshape the standard of care by providing durable benefit for patients with HFpEF, ASCVD and related cardiometabolic disorders."
The company's seed financing includes support from a coalition of regional stakeholders and investors led by business developer Daniel Stern, founder of Revier Invest Heidelberg, underscoring the strategic importance of biotechnology for both the local community and the state of Baden-Württemberg.