Vicore Pharma was founded in the early 2000s based on the design and synthesis of buloxibutid (C21) by Professor Anders Hallberg’s group at Uppsala University. The company is unlocking the potential of a new class of drugs – Angiotensin II Type 2 Receptor Agonists (ATRAGs) – stopping disease progression and restoring function. As a result of the pioneering work with buloxibutid, the first-in-class AT2 receptor agonist (ATRAG), the company now develops a portfolio of products for the treatment of rare lung diseases and following that, a clinical platform with novel compounds for a broad range of indications.

An incredible year

Vicore’s CEO, Ahmed Mousa, received the award in a prize ceremony during SwedenBIO Summit at Grand Hôtel in Stockholm on 11th December.  

“It’s been an incredible year for Vicore, and the credit goes to our amazing team. I think what underlies our achievements is an incredible ecosystem in Sweden. We’re very excited now with the capital that we have obtained to advance our lead program into late stage clinical development for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. We’re very excited as a Swedish company to potentially be able to change the lives of patients suffering from this disease as a first place where we play a role and to then go further beyond that,” says Ahmad Mousa, the CEO of Vicore Pharma.

During 2024 significant milestones has been achieved as a positive Phase 2a data showcasing an attractive benefit-risk profile for its lead candidate, successfully securing one of Sweden’s largest biotech raises in 2024, signing a strategic licensing agreement with a partner in Japan and launching a global Phase 2b trial in IPF.

The award was presented to Vicore by Anders Persson, chairman of SwedenBIOs board, with the following motivation: “Vicore is an innovative clinical-stage pharmaceutical company at the forefront of addressing unmet medical needs in rare diseases. This company is redefining therapeutic possibilities with its pioneering lead program targeting idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a devastating lung disease with limited treatment options. During 2024 significant milestones has been achieved as a positive Phase 2a data showcasing an attractive benefit-risk profile for its lead candidate, successfully securing one of Sweden’s largest biotech raises in 2024, signing a strategic licensing agreement with a partner in Japan and launching a global Phase 2b trial in IPF.”

SwedenBIO Award

This year’s three award finalists were Vicore Pharma, Xbrane Biopharma and Pelago Bioscience. The SwedenBIO Award is given annually in collaboration with HealthCap to a member company that has shown outstanding achievements and contributions to society and that exemplifies the potential of a strong Swedish life-science industry.

Source: SwedenBIO