A Series A financing round that is impressive: Overall 43.5 million euros was Breath Therapeutics Holding BV. The spin-off of PARI Pharma GmbH from Starnberg develops inhaled aerosol therapeutics for rare lung diseases. The lead investors were Gimv and Sofinnova Partners, and Gilde Healthcare joined the consortium. PARI Pharma is supporting the program. With the funds raised, Breath Therapeutics plans to conduct Phase 3 trials in the US and Europe, as well as prepare for regulatory approval and commercialization.
The focus of Breath Therapeutics’ development program is
Development of a first-in-class therapy for the treatment of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS). BOS is a rare, but usually fatal, lung disease that primarily affects transplant recipients. It is generally understood as chronic graft rejection and is the primary reason for the low five-year survival rates after lung transplantation.
Based on work by PARI Pharma and a lung transplant expert, Dr. Aldo Iacono, MD, from the University of Maryland (USA), Breath Therapeutics is developing a proprietary drug-device combination. The therapy consists of a formulation of liposomal cyclosporine A, which is delivered via an optimized eFlow® nebulizer. The nebulizer records patient adherence online. This approach is intended to enable safe, well-tolerated, and targeted delivery of the immunosuppressant directly into the lungs. Short treatment times also enable patient-friendly use.
Excellent position to achieve groundbreaking progress
Breath Therapeutics is a spin-off of PARI Pharma, Starnberg, Germany. The founding and management team consists of experienced, internationally recognized experts in aerosol and immunosuppression therapy. Dr. Jens Stegemann, CEO of Breath Therapeutics, is optimistic about the future:
"BOS is one of the deadliest lung diseases, and to date, no effective treatment is available. Our strategy is to deliver high concentrations of cyclosporine A directly into the small airways of the lungs. With the high-level consortium of investors and the world's best lung transplant centers on our side, we are in an excellent position to make groundbreaking progress in the fight against BOS."
Graziano Seghezzi, Partner at Sofinnova Partners, added:
"We are very pleased to be investing in Breath Therapeutics. We were impressed by the highly talented and entrepreneurial team, as well as the potential of the near-market technology. Sofinnova Partners has extensive experience and expertise in successfully founding companies. We are happy to share our experience and resources with the team to support Breath Therapeutics on its growth path."
