Affirma Biotech, a start-up based in the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site (Barcelona), will continue developing new medicines to stimulate the immune system in the treatment of severe viral and bacterial infections thanks to the resources obtained in recent weeks through different financing instruments.
The company has successfully closed its latest financing round led by NARA Capital and its current investors. In addition, the company has received a CDTI-NEOTEC grant for the development of its candidates in the field of antiviral therapies. The development of new broad-spectrum anti-infective products represents an innovative strategy with great potential for economic and social impact in this area.
Viral infections such as influenza and hepatitis B and resistant bacterial infections pose great challenges to global health systems and there is a great need for innovation and the development of new products in these indications. The company Affirma Biotech has obtained a total of €1.75 million that will allow it to advance its candidates for the treatment of viral and bacterial infections through the activation of the immune system.
The application of this biological mechanism, that brought a revolution in its application in immuno-oncology treatments, has not been explored to date in the field of infectious diseases, where it could provide relevant advances for the improvement of global health. The therapeutic strategy consisting in reactivating the immune system is compatible with the use of other classic antivirals or antibacterials, and it could generate synergistic effects to benefit the resolution of serious infectious.
Affirma Biotech has discovered a family of new immune activating compounds. Since there are multiple infectious diseases that can benefit from treatment through the activation of the immune system, these compounds can be used in a wide spectrum of indications. The first two that the company plans to develop are treatments for severe influenza and chronic hepatitis B. In the case of influenza, despite vaccination campaigns, the WHO estimates that annual deaths reach 650,000 patients. Chronic hepatitis B affects about 300 million patients worldwide and is the main cause of liver cancer, which causes mortality of up to 1 million people per year.
Maribel Berges, founder and CEO of the company, stated that “it crucial to innovate in areas such as infectious diseases, generating new drugs that contribute to solving the increasingly urgent challenge that these indications pose for global health systems” .She hopes that an innovative approach like the one they are currently investigating “will significantly improve the treatment of infections that currently do not have a complete medical solution.” Berges points out that the company’s objective is to start clinical trials within a maximum period of two years.
About Affirma Biotech
Affirma Biotech, based in the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site (Barcelona), was incorporated in 2020 by Maribel Berges, an entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience in the Biotech sector. In previous rounds the company obtained 1M euros from business angels and also the support of ACCIO through Start-up Capital grant.
Affirma Biotech has received grant by the CDTI with the collaboration of the Ministry of Science and Innovation and co-financed by the European Union – Next Generation EU. File number SNEO-20231066.