AMSTERDAM, April 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Xinvento, a biotech company aiming to improve the lives of those with Congenital Hyperinsulinism, announces today the completion of a seed funding round. The company is financially backed and advised by drug development experts and seasoned biotech leaders such as Ed Kaye (CEO Stoke Therapeutics), John Maraganore (former CEO Alnylam), David Meeker (CEO Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, former CEO Sanofi Genzyme), Hans Schikan (former CEO Prosensa and co-founder Pharvaris), James Shannon (former CMO GSK and Global Head of Development Novartis), Onno van de Stolpe (founder and former CEO Galapagos), Daniel de Boer (founder and CEO ProQR) and Dinko Valerio (co-founder Leyden Labs, founder Crucell).
Xinvento was founded in 2021 by CEO Claudine van der Sande, the driving force behind the company, who has a son diagnosed with Congenital Hyperinsulinism (CHI). This rare disease is characterized by hypoglycemia (hypos) resulting from an over-secretion of insulin. CHI is the most frequent cause of severe, random, and persistent hypos in newborns and children. Without proper and immediate treatment to prevent hypos, the patient may suffer seizures, coma, permanent brain damage, or even death. There currently are limited effective treatment options available to CHI patients.
“With my background in the pharmaceutical industry and facing the lack of real treatment options for children like mine with CHI, I saw an opportunity to make a difference. With seed funding secured, the first steps towards an effective and safe treatment are becoming a reality,” said Claudine van der Sande, founding CEO of Xinvento.
This seed funding will enable Xinvento to design and test its proprietary molecules in the relevant pre-clinical models to identify potential drug candidates. Piet Wigerinck, a translational chemistry expert, former CSO of Galapagos, and the scientific co-founder leading the Xinvento R&D efforts, comments:
“I’m passionate to contribute to the search for a new drug that effectively controls the secretion of insulin, which will be a major step forward in the treatment of CHI. The science behind the Xinvento program is intriguing, as it can benefit to a great extent from all the knowledge and experience gathered over the past 20 years. This has enabled us to select a promising target and with a focused research program, we expect to deliver clinical candidate molecules within one year.”
Dinko Valerio, founding advisor, commented: “In founding Xinvento, Claudine successfully surrounded herself with top class veterans from our industry, including Piet Wigerinck, who saw a near-term opportunity to develop a meaningful drug for CHI patients in need. Claudine stands out as a focused leader who will leave no stone unturned to achieve Xinvento’s goal.”
About Xinvento
Xinvento aims to alleviate the difficulties associated with Congenital Hyperinsulinism (CHI). By developing an effective treatment our focus is to improve the quality of life of CHI patients and their families.
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