ISA Pharmaceuticals

ISA Pharmaceuticals announces successful closing of EUR 26 million funding round

Oegstgeest, 13 July 2021, ISA Pharmaceuticals B.V., a company active in the field of immunotherapy with products in the clinical phase, announces that it has closed a funding round of EUR 26 million, with participation from both new investors (including Invest-NL) and existing investors (including Regeneron). The proceeds from this round will be used to bring the lead product ISA101b to first market approval and to expand the clinical pipeline with immunotherapies based on the Synthetic Long Peptide platform technology (SLP®).

Gerben Moolhuizen, CEO of ISA Pharmaceuticals: “We are very pleased with the unwavering support of our existing partners and shareholders. The support from Invest-NL underlines the innovation at ISA Pharma and the potential impact of our SLP®-immunotherapies for the treatment of serious diseases.”

SLP®-immunotherapy specifically activates the patient’s own immune system. The lead product ISA101b targets cancer caused by human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16). The product is in a late stage of clinical development, with three ongoing clinical studies, and aims to provide a treatment for late-stage HPV16-positive head and neck cancer and cervical cancer, in combination with Libtayo® (cemiplimab, anti-PD1 immunotherapy), which is being developed together with Regeneron and Sanofi.

Leo Holwerda, Director of Capital at Invest-NL, comments: “Our investment in ISA Pharmaceuticals is a good example of how our TOPSS programme can support promising Dutch start-ups and innovative companies affected by COVID-19. Invest-NL is pleased to support ISA Pharmaceuticals in accelerating its clinical studies, and we have every confidence that the company will bring its key therapy for patients with HPV16-positive head and neck cancer and cervical cancer to market. This innovative and groundbreaking therapy will offer many patients better prospects.”

Prolonged HPV16 infection can cause head and neck cancer, cervical cancer, and anal cancer. These types of cancer can be severe and life-threatening in advanced stages, with low survival rates. HPV16 is a major cause of head and neck cancer, with more than 25,000 new cases and 11,000 deaths in Europe1, and 46,000 new cases and 9,000 deaths in the US2. HPV16 is also responsible for approximately 50% of cervical cancer cases. Cervical cancer, with over 60,000 new diagnoses and 25,000 deaths annually in Europe, is the second most common cancer among women aged 15 to 44. Worldwide, there are over 500,000 new patients and 300,000 deaths annually3.

The SLP® technology platform underpins several products in the ISA pipeline, for which clinical studies are planned in the coming years. Three promising products are in the final stages of preclinical development. ISA104 Targets hepatitis B virus (HBV) in patients with chronic infection. Chronic HBV is a major cause of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer and affects more than 250 million people worldwide4. ISA103 targets tumours expressing PRAME, a protein closely associated with malignant behaviour in numerous cancer types. ISA106 offers a potential treatment for COVID-19 patients at high risk.