Pep-Therapy has now raised $2.9m to deliver peptide-based cancer drugs that further research from Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Institut Curie and Inserm.

Pep-Therapy, a France-based therapeutic peptide developer based on research from Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Institut Curie and Inserm, received €1.2m ($1.4m) in its second funding round today.
The round featured Seventure Partners’ Quadrivium 1 seed fund as well as private investor Bernard Majoie, the founding chairman of nonprofit cancer research organisation Fournier-Majoie Foundation for Innovation.
Founded in 2014, Pep-Therapy is working on oncological peptides that penetrate tumour cells to thwart interactions between the proteins within that sustain their viability.
The spinout is currently undertaking pre-clinical development of its PEP-010 candidate, which aims to treat triple-negative breast cancer by disengaging the intracellular protein mechanism Caspase-9 from another mechanism called PP2A.
Once released, Caspase-9 is thought to be able to kill tumours by destroying cells through a process innate to the development of organisms.
Pep-Therapy will use the capital to continue preclinical work on PEP-010 in preparation for a phase 1 clinical trial ahead of a first-in-human study expected in late 2018.
Among its other drug candidates, Pep-Therapy is advancing a therapy for uveal melanoma that will exploit a similar infiltrate-and-disrupt approach to cancer cells.
The company raised $1.5m in its inaugural funding round in 2015 with a $1.2m commitment from Quadrivium 1 and $300,000 from Bernard Majoie.
Philippe Tramoy, partner at Quadrivium 1, said: “We are very enthusiastic about supporting a company such as Pep-Therapy which offers a real added value in targeted treatments for cancers that are still poorly treated.
“The company will benefit from the favourable scientific ecosystem of prestigious institutions such as Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Institut Curie and Gustave Roussy for future clinical trials. We are happy to contribute to the emergence of a future European champion”