Opsona Therapeutics Limited raises an additional €3 million from Omnes Capital in Series C extension

For immediate release – October 2, 2013

Opsona Therapeutics Limited, the innate immune drug development company, today announced that it has raised an additional €3 million (US $4 million) in a second closing of its previously announced Series C equity financing from new investor Omnes Capital. The extension brings the total raised by Opsona in this Series C financing to €36 million (US $48.6 million). On April 25, 2013, Opsona raised € 33 million (US $43 million) from Novartis Venture Fund, Fountain Healthcare Partners, Roche Venture Fund, Seroba-Kernel Life Sciences, BB Biotech Ventures, Sunstone Capital, Baxter Ventures, Amgen Ventures, and EMBL Ventures.

The company will use the proceeds of this Series C financing to supplement funding a three-part multi-centered, double blinded and placebo controlled clinical study to evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of its lead product OPN-305 in renal transplant patients at high risk of Delayed Graft Function (DGF) as the first clinical indication for the development of OPN-305. Opsona’s lead product is a humanized monoclonal IgG4 antibody targeting Toll-like-receptor-2 (TLR2) and has demonstrated activity in a number of animal models and was recently tested successfully in a phase I clinical trial in healthy volunteers and in a pilot cohort of renal transplant recipients.

Dr. Martin Welschof, CEO of Opsona, commented: « I am delighted with Omnes Capital joining the high quality Series C consortium of venture and corporate venture firms. The second closing of our Series C with Omnes Capital further validates the great medical and commercial potential of our drug candidate OPN-305. »

Dr. Bruno Montanari, Life Sciences Director, Omnes Capital, added: « I am looking forward to be moving Opsona’s lead product OPN-305 through the well-designed Phase II efficacy study to prevent delayed graft function (DGF) in renal transplantation, an indication with major unmet medical need and attractive commercial potential. In addition I am interested to be exploring the full potential of OPN-305 in additional disease indications. »

Parties Involved

Omnes Capital 

Bruno Montanari, Life Sciences Director

Opsona Therapeutics

Martin Welschof (CEO)

About Opsona Therapeutics
Opsona is a leading immunology drug development company, focused on novel therapeutic approaches to key targets of the innate immune system associated with a wide range of major human diseases, including autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, transplant rejection, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and atherosclerosis. The company was founded in 2004 by three world-renowned immunologists at Trinity College in Dublin.  Opsona’s lead product, a humanized monoclonal IgG4 antibody (OPN-305) targeting Toll-like-receptor-2 (TLR2) has demonstrated activity in a number of animal models and was recently tested in a Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers. The company has initiated a three-part multi-centered, double blinded and placebo controlled clinical study to evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of OPN-305 in renal transplant patients at high risk of Delayed Graft Function (DGF) as the first clinical target indication for the development of OPN-305. The company was awarded a EUR 6 million non-dilutive grant by the European Union for clinical development of its anti-TLR2 antibody in solid organ transplantation including renal transplantation and the program has recently obtained EMA and FDA orphan drug status. Additional indications are currently explored. Further information: www.opsona.com 

About Omnes Capital (formerly Crédit Agricole Private Equity)
Omnes Capital is a major player in private equity, with a commitment to financing SMEs. With €1.8 billion in assets under management, Omnes capital provides companies with the capital needed to finance their growth and with key expertise in a number of areas: Mid and Small Cap Buyout & Growth Capital, Venture Capital in technology and life sciences, Renewable Energy, Mezzanine, Secondary Funds of Funds, Co-Investment. Omnes Capital, formerly Crédit Agricole Private Equity, was a subsidiary of Crédit Agricole until March 2012 when the company gained its independence. Omnes Capital is a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). Further information: www-rec.omnescapital.com

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