SentryX closes €3.2M seed funding round for the development of next generation pain relief therapeutics

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We are delighted with the new investment in SentryX, a next generation, innovative pain relief therapy platform, focusing on orthopedic surgical post-procedural pain.

Press release:

June 9, 2021 – Utrecht, the Netherlands

SentryX, a spin-off of the University Medical Center Utrecht (the Netherlands) today announced that it raised €3.2M in seed funding for the development of their next-generation pain relief therapeutic platform. The round includes an investment from the Utrecht Health Seed Fund.

Every year, millions of people in Europe and the US undergo a significant orthopedic surgical procedure and experience intense post-operative pain as a result. Despite the application of systemic pain medication, most patients still report insufficient pain relief, hampering post-operative recovery. SentryX’s innovative pain relief therapy platform focuses on minimizing post-operative pain to improve the overall patient experience and quality of care.

Bas Oosterman, CEO of SentryX comments: “Our initial results are promising and underscore the potential of our platform to provide superior pain relief. In speaking with orthopedic surgeons worldwide, we are convinced that our platform can make a big impact. We are excited to have the support of our investors in realizing our next development steps.”

Albert van Wijck, anesthesiologist and pain specialist at the University Medical Center Utrecht states: “SentryX is doing important work that addresses an unmet need. Orthopedic surgeries are among the most painful procedures, especially the first day after surgery, despite state-of-the-art analgesic therapy. Pain is not only uncomfortable for the patient, but it also induces complications such as thrombosis, infection, and a prolonged recovery.”

Jaap de Bruin, Fund Manager of UHSF commented: “We are delighted to support the SentryX team in further developing their pain medication platform. We believe that the platform has great potential to lower the burden of pain and medication directly after surgery, benefitting both patients and healthcare systems. This aligns with the vision of UHSF and we look forward to working with SentryX’s outstanding team.”

 

Background statements

About SentryX

SentryX is a life sciences company based in Utrecht, the Netherlands, that develops next-generation pain relief therapeutics. SentryX was founded by Prof. dr. J.J. Verlaan and Dr. B.J. Oosterman and spun out of the University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands.

For more information, please visit https://www.sentryx.nl.

 

About Utrecht Health Seed Fund

Utrecht Health Seed Fund (UHSF) is an early-stage life sciences & health investment fund also based in Utrecht, the Netherlands. It focuses on scalable technologies in the fields of Life Sciences (therapeutics and diagnostics), Medical Devices, Digital Health, and Animal Health in the earliest stages of development.

UHSF was established by Utrecht Holdings with the assistance and support of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), UMC Utrecht, and the University of Utrecht.

For more information, please visit www.uhsf.nl.

 

 

Contact information

Hein Jonkman, MD, MSc, hein.jonkman@sentryx.nl

TargED Biopharmaceuticals appoints Ludo Haazen, M.D. as Chief Medical Officer

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TargED Biopharmaceuticals, a biotech spin-off of the University Medical Center Utrecht, today announced the appointment of Ludo Haazen as Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

Kristof Vercruysse, CEO of TargED commented: “We are delighted that Ludo is joining our team as CMO. In Ludo, we found the ideal candidate to support the company’s transition from preclinical to clinical stage company. Ludo’s extensive experience and outstanding track record in the clinical development of new medicinal products, including in the field of acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (aTTP), will be a valuable asset for TargED Biopharmaceuticals.” In his role as CMO, Ludo will design and lead the clinical development of the company’s lead compound, Microlyse, in patients suffering from aTTP and acute ischemic stroke (AIS), in line with regulatory requirements and with support of TargED’s Scientific Advisory Board. Ludo will directly report to Kristof Vercruysse, CEO.

About Ludo Haazen: Ludo obtained his Medical Degree (M.D.) in 1985 from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium as well a postgraduate certificate in Statistics and Epidemiology. He practiced 2 years as resident in internal medicine and 2 years as general practitioner before starting his career of over 30 years in the pharmaceutical industry. As such, Ludo worked as Global Medical Leader and Global Project Leader at Janssen Research Foundation (J&J), as Regulatory and Medical Affairs Director at Orthovita, and for over 18 years now, Ludo has been consulting start-up and small biotech companies. In this role, he held various functions including that of Head of Pharmacovigilance, Medical Director and CMO. At Ablynx (2013- 2017), he provided expert clinical and medical support in the phase II and phase III clinical development program of Caplacizumab in aTTP. Ludo is also appointed as lecturer and examiner by the Free University of Brussels (ULB), and is Review Editor for the medical journal Frontiers Pharmacology for the section Pharmaceutical Medicine and Outcomes Research.

Ludo Haazen stated: “I am excited to join the dynamic TargED team to ensure an efficient and seamless transition of their promising lead product Microlyse into the clinic. Microlyse has the potential to fill an important medical need in the management of various thrombotic diseases and I want to make sure to maximize this potential from a clinical perspective”.

About TargED Biopharmaceuticals: TargED is a UMC Utrecht spin-off founded in July 2020 by Associate prof. Coen Maas, PhD, Steven de Maat, PhD, Marc van Moorsel and Kristof Vercruysse. TargED stands for Targeted Enzyme Delivery and the company develops first-inclass biological drugs that use small antibodies (“nanobodies”) to deliver enzymes to sites of thrombosis, enabling ‘targeted thrombolysis’. In November 2020, TargED raised a EUR 1.35 million seed investment to develop their lead compound Microlyse. Microlyse accelerates the degradation of blood clots that obstruct the vasculature and, consequently, reduce the risk for organ failure. TargED’s objective is to accelerate thrombolysis in all forms of thrombosis, irrespective of the thrombus composition or location. Its first target indications are acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (aTTP) and acute ischemic stroke (AIS).
Contact: info@targedbio.com