Lys Therapeutics announces €2 million grant from Bpifrance

This funding will accelerate the industrial development of its innovative drug candidate for the treatment of neurovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.

Lyon & Caen, France, November 14, 2023 – Lys Therapeutics, a biotechnology company specialized in the treatment of neurological diseases through a revolutionary approach targeting blood-brain barrier dysfunction, announced today that it has received €2 million in funding from Bpifrance through its DeepTech Development Program.

This support comprises both grants and repayable advances. It is intended to expedite the pharmaceutical development of Lys Therapeutics’ drug candidate, specifically the industrialization of its production to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards, required for launching future clinical trials.

Bpifrance reaffirms its support for Lys Therapeutics and its biotherapy for treating patients with neurological diseases, a disruptive innovation that restores the physiological function of the blood-brain barrier and reducing the associated neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative processes.

“We thank Bpifrance for its renewed support in guiding and accelerating our growth, which reflects a true mark of enduring confidence,” says Dr. Manuel Blanc, CEO and co-founder of Lys Therapeutics, adding: “This new funding, in addition to the previously obtained supports, represents a significant amount for the company and will be crucial in its development. It also signifies the achievement of numerous milestones and the preparation for the industrialization stages of our drug candidate’s production for the treatment of patients suffering from debilitating neurological diseases such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, or Parkinson’s disease.”

“We applaud the quality of the groundbreaking technology advanced by Lys Therapeutics and the team assembled to successfully carry out its development. We are confident in the strong potential of Lys Therapeutics’ drug candidate, which Bpifrance has supported since the inception of the company” declares Charlotte Windels, Innovation Business Manager at Bpifrance.

About Bpifrance

Bpifrance is the French national investment bank: it finances businesses – at every stage of their development – through loans, guarantees, equity investments and export insurances. Bpifrance also provides extra financial services (training, consultancy) to help entrepreneurs meet their challenges (innovation, export…).

For more information, please visit: https://www.bpifrance.com

A propos de Lys Therapeutics

First-in-class biotherapies against neurological diseases.

Lys Therapeutics is a biotechnology company pioneering a revolutionary approach to treat unmet medical needs in patients suffering from neurovascular or neurodegenerative disorders by targeting blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction.

In the pathophysiology of several neurological diseases, such as ischemic stroke, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease, hyperactivation of endothelial NMDA receptors (NMDAr) by overexpressed tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) leads to tight junction degradation and BBB dysfunction, allowing transmigration of inflammatory cells to the brain parenchyma resulting in severe neuroinflammation, a primary cause of neuronal cell death.

Lys Therapeutics’ main drug candidate is a first-in-class monoclonal antibody displaying a groundbreaking mechanism of action counteracting these mechanisms by specifically preventing inside blood vessels the binding of tPA on NMDAr, without blocking the physiological function of NMDA receptors. By inhibiting this interaction, NMDA receptors can operate normally, haltering downstream deleterious cellular pathways. Tight junctions are reestablished, endothelial cells return to their healthy state and the blood-brain barrier function is restored, protecting the brain from further neuroinflammatory and subsequent neurodegenerative cascades.

Targeting neuroinflammation to tackle neurodegeneration.

More information on lystherapeutics.com