Hemab Therapeutics successfully advances the first innovative treatments for rare bleeding disorders
Hemab Therapeutics, a US-Danish clinical-stage biotech developing the first prophylactic therapeutics to treat neglected serious bleeding and thrombotic diseases, today announced the closing of $135 million in Series B funding. Funding allows completion of the current phase 1/2 clinical trial (CT) of the HMB-001 bispecific antibody in Glanzmann Thrombasthenia (GT), initiation of pivotal trials, and initiation and completion of a Phase 1/2 CT of HMB-VWF in von Willebrand disease Disease, WD), and continue the development of the project.
Hemab Therapeutics is led by former Alnylam CEO John Maraganore. Access Biotechnology led Round B with new investors Deep Track Capital, Avoro Ventures, Invus, Rock Springs Capital and Maj Invest Equity, as well as all current investors Novo Holdings, RA Capital Management and HealthCap. He follows Series A with a fund of $55 million in 2021.
Proceeds from the second round of funding will be used by Hemab to move its flagship program for Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia into a key phase of CT.
“Hemab is revolutionizing the paradigm of bleeding and thrombotic therapy. This funding will allow us to develop our clinical programs for the first preventive treatment of Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia and von Willebrand’s disease,” said Benny Sorensen, MD, PhD, CEO and President of Hemab, “We are grateful for such a strong syndicate of investors supporting our approach to using proven cutting-edge technologies and a deep understanding of the biology of blood clotting to overcome decades of scientific stagnation.”
A portion of the funds is also earmarked for a second Hemab program for the treatment of clotting disorders in von Willebrand disease, which is due to begin shortly with a Phase 1/2 CT.
Glanzman’s thrombasthenia is a very rare bleeding disorder that affects about one in a million people worldwide, resulting in prolonged or spontaneous bleeding from birth.
This condition is caused by a lack of functional alpha 2b beta 3 integrin and is currently treated with acute doses of recombinant factor VIIa (FVIIa) replacement therapy (such as NovoSeven by Novo Nordisk), platelet transfusions, and antifibrinolytic therapy (aminocaproic acid and tranexamic acid).
The drug candidate Hemab HMB-001 is a bispecific antibody that binds to and stabilizes endogenous FVIIa on one arm, and the TLT-1 transmembrane protein on activated platelets on the other. The convergence of the clotting factor with platelets is aimed at restoring the formation of a clot.
The first patient with GT was given the drug as a bleeding prophylactic last month in the UK, with additional patients expected to be recruited in the US and other European countries in the coming months. The results of the trial will be presented in the second half of the year.
Hemab therapy for WD, dubbed HMB-VWF, is for the prophylactic treatment of WD types 1 and 2, hereditary conditions that lead to uncontrolled bleeding. Type 1 is the mildest and most common type, while type 2 is slightly more severe but less debilitating than type 3. The incidence of all three types is about 125 cases per 1 million people.
WD can currently be treated with injections of recombinant factor, sold by Takeda under the brand name Vonvendi and approved by the FDA last year, or plasma-derived products.
The funding will support Hemab’s scientific and corporate growth plans through 2025, including completion of the current phase 1/2 CT of lead candidate HMB-001 in the treatment of GT, initiation of pivotal studies, initiation and completion of a phase 1/2 clinical evaluation for HMB-VWF in WD, and further portfolio evolution in line with Hemab’s 1-2-5™ strategic plan to develop 5 clinical assets by 2025.
About Hemab Therapy
Hemab is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing the first preventive therapeutics for the treatment of serious bleeding and thrombotic diseases. Based in the US and Denmark, Hemab is promoting a range of monoclonal and bispecific antibody therapeutics to change the paradigm of treating patients with high unmet need. Hemab 1-2-5TM strategic guidance aims to develop 5 clinical assets by 2025 to provide long-awaited innovations 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 diseases.