Alder Therapeutics is a newly founded preclinical phase stem cell therapy development company with the goal to reshape the cell therapy sector with a novel, reduced-risk approach and two cell therapy candidates for diseases with high unmet need.
Alder Therapeutics was formed in 2022 to unlock the benefits of PSCs for patients across the world, using a new approach to cell therapy development that reduces risks and embeds commercial considerations at the core of development programs, it states. The Swedish company’s lead program, a mutation-agnostic cell therapy to treat patients with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), is backed by preclinical data and is set to enter clinical trials in 2026, pending a successful funding round, which opened in September 2023. The company is also progressing a transformative cell therapy for chronic heart failure.
What’s more, it outcompetes many other cell therapy options, having a streamlined and highly scalable manufacturing process.”
“Current RP treatments are limited to one single-mutation gene therapy, with only a fraction of patients eligible,” says Kristian Tryggvason, CEO of Alder Therapeutics. “But our retinal therapy is mutation agnostic and potentially curative, meaning it could be suitable for the majority of RP patients. What’s more, it outcompetes many other cell therapy options, having a streamlined and highly scalable manufacturing process. We’ve already demonstrated the efficacy preclinically. Now we’re looking to progress it through clinical trials to unveil its true potential in the clinic.”
Aims to raise EUR 22 million to progress its RP orphan drug program through Phase I/IIa by 2026
Alder Therapeutics successfully raised EUR 3 million in seed funding from Swedish investment firms Flerie and Linc based on the RP and cardiovascular programs, which had already generated preclinical data, and the manufacturing methods developed, the company states. The company now aims to raise EUR 22 million to progress its RP orphan drug program through Phase I/IIa by 2026, and to prepare its cardiac program for GLP toxicity studies.
With this approach, we believe we can substantially de-risk the path to cell therapy success.”
“We’ve crafted an entirely new philosophy to cell therapy development. Right from the start, we create robust and scalable manufacturing processes, ensure we select suitable starting cell material, and conduct commercial viability assessments to estimate ROI. And, with a virtual, agile operational structure we can tap into the best expertise to help propel us forward. With this approach, we believe we can substantially de-risk the path to cell therapy success,” says Ricardo Baptista, Chief Technology Officer at Alder Therapeutics.
Photo of (Left to Right) Ricardo Baptista Chief Technology Officer, Kristian Tryggvason CEO, Stijn Heessen Chief Operations Officer: Alder Therapeutics
