Novo Holdings participates in Hemab Therapeutics $135M Series B Financing
News
February 21, 2023
Hemab Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing the first prophylactic therapeutics for serious, underserved bleeding and thrombotic disorders
Funding enables completion of ongoing Phase 1/2 study of bispecific antibody HMB-001 in Glanzmann Thrombasthenia, initiation of pivotal studies, start and conclusion of Phase 1/2 study of HMB-VWF in von Willebrand Disease, as well as future pipeline evolution.
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK – February 21, 2023 – Novo Holdings A/S, a leading international life sciences investor, today announced it has participated in the $135M Series B Financing for Hemab Therapeutics. Access Biotechnology led the round, with participation from new investors Deep Track Capital, Avoro Capital, Invus, Rock Springs Capital, and Maj Invest Equity, as well as all current investors Novo Holdings, RA Capital, and HealthCap.
“Hemab is fundamentally reimagining the treatment paradigm for underserved bleeding and thrombotic disorders. This financing will allow us to progress our clinical programs for the first prophylactic treatments for Glanzmann Thrombasthenia and von Willebrand Disease, delivering functional cures for patients in need,” said Benny Sorensen, MD, PhD, CEO & President of Hemab. “We’re grateful for this robust syndicate of investors who support our approach of leveraging validated advanced technologies and deep insights into the biology of clotting to overcome decades of scientific stagnation.”
The financing will support Hemab’s scientific and corporate growth plans through 2025, including completion of an ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical study of lead candidate HMB-001 in Glanzmann Thrombasthenia, initiation of pivotal studies, start and completion of Phase 1/2 clinical evaluation for HMB-VWF in von Willebrand disease, and future pipeline evolution in accordance with the company’s Hemab 1-2-5™ strategic guidance—targeting development of 5 clinical assets by 2025.
“Strong investor confidence—in this case, an upsized round and more than $200 million in demand—is a testament to the expertise of the Hemab team, their validated scientific approach, and the opportunity to bring long-overdue innovation to patients living with severe bleeding and thrombotic diseases,” said John Maraganore, PhD, Chair of Hemab’s Board of Directors.
“As founding investor and the company’s largest shareholder, we are excited to support Hemab in the next phase of its plan to build the ultimate clotting company, with a Nordic foundation and global footprint,” said Jørgen Søberg Petersen, MD, PhD, MBA, Partner at Novo Holdings.
Hemab also announced Dan Becker, MD, PhD, Managing Director at Access, and Uya Chuluunbaatar, PhD, Partner at Avoro, will as join as Directors. Christine Borowski, PhD, Vice President at Access, will join as a Board Observer.
“We are thrilled to partner with Hemab’s exceptional leadership to advance a pipeline of transformative new medicines for areas of high unmet need in hemostatic disorders,” said Dr. Becker.
**About Hemab Therapeutics
**Hemab is a clinical-stage biotech company developing the first prophylactic therapeutics for serious, underserved bleeding and thrombotic disorders. Based in the US and Denmark, Hemab is progressing a pipeline of monoclonal and bispecific antibody-based therapeutics to transform the treatment paradigm for patients with high unmet need. The company’s strategic guidance, Hemab 1-2-5TM, targets the development of 5 clinical assets by 2025 to deliver long-awaited innovation for patients with Factor VII Deficiency, Bernard Soulier Syndrome, Von Willebrand Disease, Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (or Osler-Weber-Rendu disease), Congenital Antithrombin III Deficiency, and other serious disorders. Learn more at hemab.com.
About HMB-001
HMB-001 is bispecific antibody that binds and stabilizes endogenous factor VIIa (FVIIa) with one antibody arm and TLT-1 on activated platelets with the other arm. This allows for accumulation of FVIIa in the body, recruitment of FVIIa directly to the surface of the activated platelets where it is known to facilitate clotting, and avoidance of clotting activity in the absence of tissue damage. HMB-001 was designed to be a first-in-class prophylactic treatment for Glanzmann Thrombasthenia with potential for other debilitating rare bleeding disorders. It entered Phase 1/2 clinical evaluation in late 2022, with initial data expected 2H 2023.