Amphix Bio announced it has completed the initial closing of a $12.5 million seed financing round to move its lead therapeutic candidates toward human clinical trials and expand its pipeline into additional neurological conditions. The Chicago-based company said the financing brings its total dilutive and non-dilutive funding to $18 million.
The company is developing a class of peptide therapeutics for neurological injuries, neurodegenerative diseases, and musculoskeletal disorders. Amphix Bio’s Supramolecular Therapeutic Peptide platform uses assemblies of thousands of molecules to form nanostructures that activate cell receptors more potently than standard drugs, combining peptide modifications with proprietary sequences to tune candidate properties. The platform traces its origins to more than two decades of research in the laboratory of Northwestern University professor Samuel Stupp, a co-founder and Amphix Bio’s chief scientific officer.
Amphix Bio said the new capital will support progress toward clinical trials following recent regulatory milestones. The company said it received Orphan Drug Designation for AMFX-200, its lead neurological candidate, for the treatment of acute spinal cord injury and completed a Type C meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, receiving feedback on preclinical safety studies and clinical trial design. Amphix Bio also said AMFX-100, a drug-device combination product aimed at degenerative disc disease, received Breakthrough Device Designation.
Beyond its lead programs, Amphix Bio said its pipeline includes programs targeting neurological and neuroinflammatory conditions such as chronic spinal cord injury, ischemic stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The company, which spun out of Northwestern University in 2021, is focused on therapies it says can modify immunological response and initiate regenerative processes intended to restore function lost due to injury, disease, or aging.
KEY QUOTE:
“We are proud to have assembled a group of experienced investors, including follow-on participation from all existing investors, who are confident in our approach and trajectory. Not only do they see the immense commercial potential of our platform, they also strongly align with our mission of developing regenerative therapies that restore function and improve quality of life for patients.”
Nick Sather, PhD, Co-Founder and CEO, Amphix Bio
