Actithera, a biotech company specializing in radiopharmaceuticals, has secured $75.5 million in an oversubscribed Series A financing round. This funding will help advance their lead FAP (Fibroblast Activation Protein) asset into clinical development and support the growth of their proprietary radioligand therapy (RLT) discovery platform.
The funding round was co-led by M Ventures, Hadean Ventures, Sofinnova Partners, and 4BIO Capital, with additional contributions from Bioqube Ventures, Innovestor’s Life Science Fund, Investinor, Surveyor Capital, and Arkin Bio Ventures II.
Actithera’s innovative discovery platform combines rational drug design with radiochemistry to create small-molecule radioligands that overcome current challenges in the field. This platform focuses on optimizing tumor residence time and improving precision, safety, and efficacy. Their approach has been validated through work on FAP, resulting in a promising RLT candidate with strong pharmacokinetic properties and tumor specificity.
Dr. Andreas Goutopoulos, founder and CEO, has over 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, including significant contributions at EMD Serono and as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at M Ventures. He is leading a precision-driven approach at Actithera by integrating unique targeting chemistries and rational design principles.
New board members: As part of the funding round, Roger Franklin, Partner at Hadean Ventures, Karl Naegler, Partner at Sofinnova Partners, Therese Liechtenstein, Investment Director at 4BIO Capital, and Debbie Dumont, Managing Partner at Bioqube Ventures will join the Actithera Board of Directors, including Noga Yerushalmi, Investment Director at M Ventures, who is currently on the Board.
KEY QUOTES:
“We set out to bring structure-based and kinetics-driven thinking from small molecule drug design into the world of radiopharmaceuticals. This oversubscribed Series A, backed by a truly global and experienced investor syndicate, is strong validation of our approach. We engineer our radioconjugates for extended retention within tumors, making them ideally suited for longer-lived radionuclides and ultimately delivering more convenient dosing schedules and enhanced efficacy and safety for patients.”
Dr. Andreas Goutopoulos
“Actithera is applying Big Pharma discipline to an emerging field with enormous potential. Its radioligand therapies represent a meaningful shift in oncology, with the opportunity to redefine the therapeutic index. We’re excited to support that vision.”
Karl Naegler, incoming Board member and Partner at Sofinnova Partners
“Actithera stands out as one of the most thoughtfully constructed radiopharma platforms we’ve seen, combining smart molecular design with a deep understanding of tumor biology and clinical need. The team’s work to align pharmacokinetics with therapeutic effect could transform how patients experience and benefit from radioligand therapies.”
Roger Franklin, incoming Board member and Partner at Hadean Ventures
“We are honored to support Actithera, whose molecules address key challenges in the nascent radioligand therapies space; a large therapeutic window through high tumor retention and low systemic exposure, applied to a lead program that has significant pan-tumor therapeutic potential.”
Therese Liechtenstein, incoming Board member and Investment Director at 4BIO Capital
“We are excited to see Actithera evolve from the one-person ideation we seeded with Andreas and Arkin to the transatlantic company it has become today. The innovative chemistry platform built and the first-in-class approach on FAP have the potential for a large impact in the RLT field and a significant benefit for patients. We welcome the new investor group and Board members to the company aligned with this bold vision of building the next generation of RLTs.”
Hakan Goker, current Chairman of Actithera, and Managing Director at M Ventures
