EpilepsyGTx has secured a £10.5m investment from the British Business Bank as part of a £25 million Series A financing round. XGEN Venture and a global biopharmaceutical company also joined the round, which will support the delivery of our first-in-human Phase 1/2a clinical trials to establish the safety and efficacy of our lead gene therapy programme, EPY201, in a broad population of patients with focal refractory epilepsy (FRE).
FRE describes a group of disorders in which patients experience seizures arising from a specific part of the brain, resulting in recurrent disabling events, cognitive impairment and psychosocial burden. This affects about 10 million patients worldwide, including 2 million patients in the US, UK and EU.
EPY201 has the potential to eradicate seizures in patients with FRE with a single intervention, dramatically improving survival and quality of life. This approach offers patients the prospect of seizure freedom without resection or ablation of brain tissue and without the chronic use of multiple antiseizure medicines.
In addition to EPY201, we are advancing a broader pipeline of transformative gene therapies targeting refractory epilepsy and disorders of neuronal hyperexcitability.
Refractory epilepsy is a devastating condition causing unpredictable and life-threatening seizures, and affecting millions of patients worldwide. Our novel gene therapy EPY201 delivered directly to the seizure focus has the potential to stop seizures with a single, minimally invasive administration. In doing so, it will change the way refractory epilepsy has been treated for decades. We are proud to have the support of such high calibre investors as we progress into clinical trials.
Nicolas Koebel, CEO
The UK’s life sciences sector continues to produce world-class innovation, and the Bank is committed to building that momentum. Through cornerstone commitments to leading sector funds and by being the UK’s most active late-stage investor, the Bank is helping IP-rich companies access the capital they need to scale in the UK.
Leandros Kalisperas, CIO at British Business Bank
Epilepsy GTx is built on world leading expertise from UCL, pursuing an innovative approach to modulating neurons in epilepsy and backed by compelling preclinical data. If this mechanism is validated in clinical trials, the company has the potential to be category-defining in epilepsy treatment, addressing substantial unmet patient need and presenting a significant commercial opportunity.
Carmine Circelli, Investment Director at British Business Bank
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