Trino Therapeutics, a drug development firm spun-out of Trinity College, Dublin’s (TCB) School of Pharmacy, has raised over €9m ($12m) series A funding.
The round was led by VC firm Fountain Healthcare Partners and charitable foundation the Wellcome Trust, a founding investor in Trino. Joining in participation are government agency Enterprise Ireland and investment vehicle Growcorp.
Trino is focused on the development of anti-inflammatory therapeutics which are derived from a Taiwanese fern, and promises a wide range of potential applications, including dermatology, Crohn’s disease, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Dr Richard Seabrook, head of business development at the Wellcome Trust, said: “Current treatments for inflammatory bowel diseases often have significant side effects and patients are faced with tough decisions in how to manage their condition. We are pleased to extend our successful partnership with Trino to support the development of PH46A as a potential new therapy for these debilitating disorders.”
€2.2m of the funds raised have already been used for pre-clinical trials, with the further €7m earmarked for trials in healthy volunteers.
