A syndicate consisting of the Lundbeck Foundation BioCapital, EIR Ventures, EIFO and UCPH Ventures, has made an investment in the Danish biotech company Dania Therapeutics.

“We are stepping in with strong partners at an early stage, where we can help build and further develop Dania Tx. We know from previous collaborations that Kristian Helin stands for research of stellar quality. It is not only an exciting strategic and operational task for us. It is also an important goal to expand the treatment palette for people affected by AML and hopefully for patients with other cancer types as well,” says Lars Gredsted, Senior Principal at the Lundbeck Foundation BioCapital.

Focus on a new biological mechanism

The company is based on research from renowned professor Kristian Helin and Dr Karl Agger originating from Helin’s former research group at the University of Copenhagen. The ambition is to develop a treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) which also holds potential for treatment of other types of cancer.

Dania Tx’s research focuses on a new biological mechanism that exploits the fact that metabolism in cancer cells differs from that in normal cells.”

Dania Tx’s research focuses on a new biological mechanism that exploits the fact that metabolism in cancer cells differs from that in normal cells. This broad-acting potential gives hope for the treatment to be used for more cancer types, for example other types of leukaemia and colorectal and pancreatic cancer.

 

Top left to right: David Dreyer Larsen (UCPH Ventures), Lene Gerlach (Eir Ventures)
Bottom left to right: Kristian Helin (Dania Tx), Søren Danielsen Juhl (EIFO), Lars Gredsted (Lundbeck Foundation)

 

Founded in 2021

The company was founded in July 2021 by the scientific founders, Professor Kristian Helin and Dr. Karl Agger, together with venture creator, Hannibal Innovation, and drug discovery expert, Kim Andersen.

“We are very pleased with this investment. It will allow us to take the next necessary steps of developing new therapies for AML and potential a range of other types of cancers. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues in Dania Tx and in particular Vernalis Research for their outstanding work,” says Kristian Helin, who is now President and Chief Executive at The Institute of Cancer Research in London.

At the investment company under the University of Copenhagen, UCPH Ventures, the vice-chancellor for research, David Dreyer Lassen, is also happy about the new investment:

This type of investment reflects the reason why the university of Copenhagen established UCPH Ventures.”

“I am very pleased to see this group of partners come together for an investment, which holds the potential to accelerate the application of promising research and develop treatments that are needed in society,” says David Dreyer Lassen. “This type of investment reflects the reason why the university of Copenhagen established UCPH Ventures; Precisely so that we can connect our world-leading researchers with investors, who together can ensure that we can effectively put knowledge to use and make a difference to society.”

Featured illustration: iStock