Mediar Wins $105 Million Financing for Fibrosis Therapies

Mediar Therapeutics has announced a $105M financing, including a recent $85 million Series A round co-led by Novartis Venture Fund and Sofinnova Partners and with participation from Pfizer Ventures, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly & Company, Mass General Brigham Ventures and others. Mediar is advancing a portfolio of first-in-class therapies that halt and even reverse the course of fibrosis.

Mediar was founded on pioneering fibrosis research from Mass General and Brigham and Women’s Hospitals in partnership with Mass General Brigham Ventures with the goal to transform the treatment of fibrotic disease by targeting the myofibroblast, the key cell type driving fibrosis progression.

Mediar’s portfolio comprises three novel targets that are readily detectible in blood and correlate to disease severity, enabling a de-risked approach to clinical development. The series A financing will support advancement of the company’s portfolio of first-in-class antibody treatments, which offer unique potential to address fibrosis at varying stages of the disease, with two programs advancing into human studies in 2024.

Fibrosis contributes to 45 percent of deaths in the industrialized world and is among the most complicated chronic pathologies due to an expansive and complex network of interwoven biological pathways. Current therapeutic approaches mainly focus on the initiators of fibrosis that modulate the underlying immune responses known to drive disease onset. However, the pursuit of these initiators may disrupt related pro-inflammatory pathways that defend the body against illness and can lead to treatment-limiting safety concerns.

Mediar is focused on targeting fibrotic mediators that drive disease progression and potentially avoid the limitations of current approaches. “Mediar brings deep research insights and a robust understanding of fibrotic disease,” said Maina Bhaman, partner at Sofinnova Partners. “These strengths, coupled with a focus on pursuing unexplored pathways that drive fibrosis progression, position the company to change the way the disease is addressed and potentially achieve meaningful therapeutic impact…” (Source: Mediar Therapeutics, 15 March, 2023)