LSP returns to support the former KuDOS team that successfully developed the first PARP inhibitor Olaparib

 

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, August 10, 2018 – LSP, Europe’s leading life sciences investor, today announced the first investment from its latest flagship fund LSP 6: Artios Pharma Limited. Artios is a DNA Damage Response (DDR) company developing innovative treatments for cancer. Artios completed a $85 million (£65 million) Series B financing following high interest from investors. The financing, which was significantly oversubscribed, was led by LSP (Life Sciences Partners) together with Andera Partners (formerly EdRIP), with participation of new investors Pfizer Ventures and Novartis Venture Fund (NVF). Artios’ existing shareholders Arix Bioscience, SV Health Investors, M Ventures, IP Group and AbbVie Ventures also participated in the fundraise.

 

Dr. René Kuijten, Managing Partner of LSP, was elected to join the Board of Artios as a director, following the transaction. Commenting on today’s announcement René Kuijten said: “Artios represents a unique opportunity to create a truly world class biotech company. LSP has worked with Artios’ team before at KuDOS (successfully sold to AstraZeneca) which developed Olaparib, the first approved PARP inhibitor and used in ovarian and breast cancer, creating a billion dollar market. We are very excited to support this proven management team once again as it seeks to build on its leading position in the DDR field by advancing its programmes into clinical development. Artios’ DDR programmes have the potential to bring real impact to cancer patients.”

 

Niall Martin, Chief Executive Officer of Artios added: “We are delighted to welcome LSP, Andera Partners, Pfizer Ventures and Novartis Venture Fund to Artios and I would like to thank our existing investors for their continued support, which will help us develop and deliver our exciting DDR targeted therapies to cancer patients. This investor syndicate creates a very strong and committed shareholder base with a track record of supporting successful next generation companies. The oversubscribed Series B fundraise is a strong endorsement of our world-leading development pipeline and reflects the opportunity for DDR to yield new breakthrough oncology products.”

 

Artios is actively developing a pipeline of highly promising first-in-class DDR therapies with the potential to bring real impact to cancer patients. Tumors rely for survival heavily on DNA repair targets like the newly discovered Polθ. The inhibition of Polθ will lead to cancer cells being selectively killed without harming normal cells. This creates an opportunity for such products to be used both in monotherapy and in combination with existing and future cancer therapies.

 

About Artios Pharma Limited

Artios is a leading DNA Damage Response (DDR) company focused on developing first-in-class treatments for cancer. The Company, founded by SV Health Investors in 2016, is led by an experienced scientific and leadership team with proven expertise in DDR drug discovery. Having a unique partnership with Cancer Research UK (CRUK), and collaborations with leading DNA repair researchers worldwide, such as the National Centre for Biomolecular Research at Masaryk University. Artios is building a pipeline of next-generation DDR programmes to target hard to treat cancers. Backed by blue chip investors including: Arix Bioscience plc, Artios’ largest shareholder, SV Health Investors, M Ventures, IP Group plc, AbbVie Ventures, Andera Partners (formerly EdRIP), LSP (Life Science Partners), Pfizer Ventures and Novartis Venture Fund (NVF). Artios is based at the Babraham Research Campus in Cambridge, UK. For more information, please visit artiospharma.com

 

About LSP

LSP (Life Sciences Partners) is an independent European investment firm, providing financing for private and public life sciences companies. LSP’s mission is to connect investors to inventors, focusing on unmet medical needs. Since the late 1980s, the LSP team has invested in about 100 innovative enterprises, many of which have grown to become leaders of the global life sciences industry. With over €1.7 billion ($2.0 billion) of investment capital raised to date and offices in Amsterdam, Munich and Boston, LSP is Europe’s leading life sciences investor. LSP also invests in public companies through its Euronext-listed LSP Life Sciences Fund (Bloomberg: LSP NA). Artios is the first investment of LSP’s latest flagship fund, LSP 6. For more information, please visit lspvc.com