New Spin-Out Biotech To Advance Alternative Menopause Treatment
U.K. biotech NeRRe Therapeutics has now spun out KaNDy Therapeutics, a company focusing on women’s health. The brand new firm will be handling the development of NT-814, one of two phase 2 candidates developed at NeRRe. It is billed as a first-in-class neurokinin-1,3 receptor antagonist with potential to treat postmenopausal vasomotor symptoms (PMVMS) such as hot flashes and sleep disturbances.
NT-814 is a first-in-class, once daily, dual mechanism neurokinin-1,3 receptor antagonist. The medicine is being developed as a non-hormonal alternative to hormone replacement therapy for the treatment of postmenopausal vasomotor symptoms (PMVMS). NT-814 has been spun out of NeRRe Therapeutics Holdings Ltd into KaNDy Therapeutics Ltd a separate legal entity.
The launch of KaNDy is backed by Advent Life Sciences, Fountain Healthcare Partners, Forbion Capital Partners and OrbiMed Advisors,who are also investors in NeRRe.
PMVMS affects up to three quarters of peri-menopausal women, the most common of which are hot flashes. Symptoms typically last one to two years after menopause in the majority of women and may last for up to 10 years or longer. About one-fifth of women describe the symptoms as debilitating, severely affecting work and especially sleep.
KaNDy Therapeutics will advance the development of NT-814 into
Phase 2b in the lead indication PMVMS while also exploring its potential in other Women’s Health conditions. All formulation, pre-clinical and clinical safety and efficacy data, and intellectual property associated with NT-814 have been transferred to the new company. KaNDy Therapeutics is led by Managing Director Mary Kerr and chaired by Iain Dukes, Venture Partner at OrbiMed Advisors. The company is based at the Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst in the UK.The new company’s managing director, Mary Kerr, who moved to NeRRe from GSK, explained the reason for the decision to bisect the business. “It was clear during the series B raise that very few investors had an interest to invest in both sides of the NeRRe portfolio. In fact, one year ago it was difficult to find anyone interested in women’s health at all, but that has changed in recent months,” she told FierceBiotech, pointing to recent developments such as Astellas’ acquisition of PMVMS drug developer Ogeda and IPOs for endometriosis drug developer Myovant and ObsEva, a reproductive health specialist.
“For many women, menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes are debilitating and long-lasting, and can have a major impact on quality of life,” said Professor Richard Anderson, a women’s health specialist at the University of Edinburgh and clinical adviser to KaNDy, in a release. “As a potential once-daily alternative to HRT without the issues surrounding hormone replacement, NT-814 could bring them considerable relief.”