Elion Therapeutics, a biotechnology company dedicated to transforming the treatment of life-threatening invasive fungal infections (IFIs), has closed a $81 million Series B funding round led by Deerfield Management and the AMR Action Fund. Additional investors include Illinois Ventures.
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Elion Therapeutics ’s clinical-stage candidate, SF001, a next-generation polyene antifungal, completed a first-in-human single-ascending dose study and is now being evaluated in a multiple-ascending dose study. The active molecule is a novel analog of the antifungal amphotericin B (AmB), rationally designed to mitigate systemic toxicities.
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“The speed of development of SF001 to date has been impressive and is a testament to the world-class leadership team established at Elion,” said James Flynn, Managing Partner, Deerfield Management. “Fungal infections are a growing medical concern globally, and we have an opportunity with this therapeutic candidate to address millions of disease cases and preventable deaths that occur every year. We are excited to support this mission and confident that this financing will provide the runway to achieve Elion’s clinical development goals.”
“With resistance to existing antifungals growing and infection rates increasing, it is essential that we develop effective therapies for patients in need,” said AMR Action Fund CEO Henry Skinner, PhD, MBE. “The World Health Organization recently identified four fungal pathogens that it considers a ‘critical priority,’ including Aspergillus fumigatus. We are pleased to support the team at Elion and believe their work could deliver an important treatment for patients suffering from devastating fungal infections.”
About Elion Therapeutics
Elion Therapeutics is a cutting-edge biotechnology company dedicated to transforming the treatment of life-threatening IFIs. Elion was founded on the belief that mechanistic insights enable targeted optimizations of natural products. Today, Elion is advancing the first polyene antifungal rationally designed to mitigate toxicities and potentially transform the future of polyene therapy.
