Perha Pharmaceuticals & Catalyze celebrate €9M collaboration

We were thrilled to be able to celebrate another successful outcome of our long-running partnership with Perha Pharmaceuticals (FR). Their project, “Leucettinib-21: A DYRK1A protein kinase inhibitor for treatment of cognitive decline in Down Syndrome” was awarded €8 million blended finance (€2.5M grant + ~€5.5M equity) in the most recent round of the European Innovation Council Accelerator. The award brings the total amount raised during our partnership to ~€9 million in (non-)dilutive funding.

Life Sciences & Health consultants Max Seignette and Philip Snouckaert (Left) with Dr. Laurent Meijer, Perha Pharmaceuticals co-founder and CSO, and Sarah Letemplier, CFO (right).

Perha Pharmaceuticals: “From sea to pharmacy”

Perha Pharmaceuticals is a pioneering biotechnology company that uses small molecules derived from natural marine products to identify, optimize, characterize and develop pharmacological inhibitors of protein kinases involved in different human pathologies. Their focus is on Leucettinib, a family of DYRK1A inhibitors derived from a natural marine sponge product with potential therapeutic applications in Alzheimer’s Disease, Diabetes, Leukemia and Down Syndrome.

Celebrating our continued successful partnership

The award from EIC Accelerator marked the third successful collaboration together during our 5-year partnership. In both 2018 and 2020, Perha Pharmaceuticals – and sister company ManRos Therapeutics – won a Eurostars project to add to their recent EIC Accelerator success. This gave enough reasons for our Life Sciences & Health consultants Max Seignette and Philip Snouckaert to meet up with Dr. Laurent Meijer, co-founder and CSO, and Sarah Letemplier, CFO, in Paris to celebrate Catalyze and Perha Pharmaceuticals ongoing partnership and continued success.

Dr. Laurent Meijer, comments on our success and the strength of our partnership: “Another successful grant application being celebrated in a famous Parisian restaurant! We (at Perha Pharmaceuticals) love to work with the Catalyze team: they are a very professional, highly reactive team understanding the ‘European language and expectations’ more than anyone. In addition, a lot of experience sharing, lots of great discussions on the real aims of the project and a lot of fun! We are on the starting blocks for the next grant application calls!”

About the project

In their EIC Accelerator funded project, they will clinically validate LCTB-21, a marine natural product-derived therapeutic and leucettinib derivative, which will be used to improve learning ability and memory in children with Down Syndrome by inhibiting the overexpressed enzyme DYRK1A. By improving the cognitive abilities of children with Down Syndrome, they can live more autonomous lives and independent of their caregivers, thereby also improving their perspective of a fulfilling social life and professional career.

The Catalyze team is excited to continue growing our successful partnership together with Perha Pharmaceuticals.

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